Where does “sherd” come from?

Sherd comes from Middle English sherd, Old English sċeard, Proto-Germanic skardą and skar-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- and sek-, meaning to cut or separate.

sherd (English): Obsolete form of shard; shard

Definitions

  1. Obsolete form of shard; shard

Ancestry of “sherd”, step by step

sherd traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English sherd

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsherdAlternative form of scherd; piece of fired clay...
2Old Englishsċearda broken piece; shard; gap, cut, notch
3Proto-Germanicskardąnotch; nick
4Proto-Indo-European(s)ḱer-dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth

via Middle English scherd

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishscherdA shard of pottery or clayware; A container made...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer-Every word from Proto-Germanic skardąEvery word from Old English sċeard