Where does “shrew” come from?
Shrew comes from Middle English schrewen and schrewe, from Old English scrēawa, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- and sek-, roots meaning to cut or separate.
shrew (English): Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly...
Definitions
- Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly...
Ancestry of “shrew”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | schrewen | To curse |
| 2 | Middle English | schrewe | barn mouse, shrew, evil person |
| 3 | Old English | sċrēawa | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skrawwaz | thin; meagre; frail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
Words derived from “shrew”