Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “shorthair” come from?

shorthair (English) comes from English Hair, from Middle English hēr, from Old English hēr, from Proto-West Germanic *hēr, from Proto-Germanic hē₂r, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe, from Middle English kyt, from German kitt — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

shorthair (English): Any of several breeds of domestic cat with...

Definitions

  1. Any of several breeds of domestic cat with...

Ancestry of “shorthair”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishHair—
2Middle Englishhēr—
3Old Englishhērat this place
4Proto-West Germanic*hēr—
5Proto-Germanichē₂rhere, in this place
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
7Middle Englishkyt—
8Germankitt—
9Old High Germankuti—
10Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
11Proto-Germanickweduzresin
12Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
13Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →