Where does “shrewishness” come from?
shrewishness (English) comes from English shrewish, from English shrew, from Middle English schrewen, from Middle English schrewe, from Old English sċrēawa, from Proto-Germanic skrawwaz, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.
shrewishness (English): The quality of being shrewish
Definitions
- The quality of being shrewish
Ancestry of “shrewishness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | shrewish | Of or pertaining to a shrew; Bad-tempered;... |
| 2 | English | shrew | Any of numerous small, mouselike, chiefly... |
| 3 | Middle English | schrewen | To curse |
| 4 | Middle English | schrewe | barn mouse, shrew, evil person |
| 5 | Old English | sċrēawa | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skrawwaz | thin; meagre; frail |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |