Where does “shortsword” come from?
shortsword (English) comes from English sword, from Middle English sword, from Old English sword, from Old English sweord, from Proto-Germanic swerdą, from Proto-Indo-European swēr- — heavy.
shortsword (English): A sword of a class generally shorter than one...
Definitions
- A sword of a class generally shorter than one...
Ancestry of “shortsword”, step by step
shortsword traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sword
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sword | A long-bladed weapon with a hilt, and usually a... |
| 2 | Middle English | sword | sword, sabre; Military might or power |
| 3 | Old English | sword | Alternative form of sweord |
| 4 | Old English | sweord | a sword |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swerdą | sword |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swēr- | heavy |
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 |