Where does “shred” come from?
Shred comes from Middle English shrede, from Old English sċrēad, from Proto-Germanic skraudō and skraudaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- and sek-, roots meaning to cut or separate.
shred (English): A long, narrow piece cut or torn off; a strip; In...
Definitions
- A long, narrow piece cut or torn off; a strip; In...
Ancestry of “shred”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | shrede | fragment, scrap; strip of cloth; strip cut off... |
| 2 | Old English | sċrēad | a piece cut off; a paring; shred |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skraudō | cut, crack; piece, shred |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skraudaną | to cut up, to shred |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | skrówdʰ-e-ti | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | skrew- | to cut; cutting tool |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |