Where does “shrimpish” come from?
shrimpish (English) comes from English shrimp, from Middle English schrimpe, from Proto-Germanic skrimpaz, from Proto-Germanic skrimpaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
Ancestry of “shrimpish”, step by step
shrimpish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shrimp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shrimp | Any of many swimming, often edible crustaceans,... |
| 2 | Middle English | schrimpe | shrimp, puny person |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skrimpaz | shrivelled |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skrimpaną | to contract, to shrink |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerbʰ- | to scratch, scrape |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |