Where does “shrimplet” come from?
shrimplet (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.
shrimplet (English): A small shrimp
Definitions
- A small shrimp
Ancestry of “shrimplet”, step by step
| 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 |