Where does “shortstop” come from?
Shortstop comes from English short and English top, from Middle English schort and top, from Old English sċeort and top, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- meaning to cut or divide.
shortstop (English): The infield defensive player that stands between...
Definitions
- The infield defensive player that stands between...
Ancestry of “shortstop”, step by step
shortstop traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English stop
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stop | To cease moving; To not continue; To cause to... |
| 2 | English | top | The highest or uppermost part of something; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | top | The summit or top of something, especially a... |
| 4 | Old English | topp | top, summit (of something) |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *topp | top, summit, crest |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tuppaz | tuft, plait; top, summit |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dumb- | tail, rod, staff, pole, penis; tail, rod, staff,... |
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 |