Where does “shepherdlessness” come from?
shepherdlessness (English) comes from English shepherdless, from English Shepherd, from Middle English schepherde, from Old English sċēaphierde, from Old English sċēap, from Proto-West Germanic skāp, from Proto-Germanic skapą, from Proto-Germanic skapjaną — to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...
shepherdlessness (English): Absence of a shepherd or protector
Definitions
- Absence of a shepherd or protector
Ancestry of “shepherdlessness”, step by step
shepherdlessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shepherdless
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shepherdless | Lacking a shepherd |
| 2 | English | Shepherd | A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock |
| 3 | Middle English | schepherde | shepherd |
| 4 | Old English | sċēaphierde | shepherd |
| 5 | Old English | sċēap | sheep |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | skāp | sheep |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skapą | shape |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | skapjaną | to make, to create; to shape |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | skab- | to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,... |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |