Where does “shortestness” come from?
shortestness (English) comes from English shortest, 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.
shortestness (English): The quality of being shortest
Definitions
- The quality of being shortest
Ancestry of “shortestness”, step by step
shortestness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shortest
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shortest | superlative form of short: most short; Least in... |
| 2 | English | short | Having a small distance from one end or edge to... |
| 3 | Middle English | schort | short as opposed to being tall or long |
| 4 | Old English | sċeort | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skurt | short; lacking, deficient |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skurtaz | short; lacking, deficient |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |
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 |