Where does “shortcake” come from?
shortcake (English) comes from English short, from Middle English schort, from Old English sċeort, from Proto-West Germanic skurt, from Proto-Germanic skurtaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
shortcake (English): A sweet cake or biscuit typically made with...
Definitions
- A sweet cake or biscuit typically made with...
Ancestry of “shortcake”, step by step
shortcake traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English short
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | short | Having a small distance from one end or edge to... |
| 2 | Middle English | schort | short as opposed to being tall or long |
| 3 | Old English | sċeort | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skurt | short; lacking, deficient |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skurtaz | short; lacking, deficient |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |