Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sheepshearing” come from?

sheepshearing (English) comes from English shearing, from Middle English scherynge, from Middle English scheren, from Old English sċieran, from Proto-West Germanic skeran, from Proto-Germanic skeraną, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.

sheepshearing (English): The act of shearing sheep

Definitions

  1. The act of shearing sheep

Ancestry of “sheepshearing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshearingTending to cut or tear; present participle of...
2Middle Englishscherynge—
3Middle EnglishscherenTo cut; to slash or slice with a blade or sharp...
4Old Englishsċieranto cut
5Proto-West Germanicskeranto shear, to cut
6Proto-Germanicskeranąto shear
7Proto-Indo-Europeansḱer-to caw, crow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- →