Where does “shrink away” come from?
shrink away (English) comes from English shrink, from Middle English schrynken, from Old English sċrincan, from Proto-Germanic skrinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European sker- — to jump; to turn, to bend; to turn, bend.
shrink away (English): to draw back in fear; cringe, back down, shy away
Definitions
- to draw back in fear; cringe, back down, shy away
Ancestry of “shrink away”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | shrink | To cause to become smaller; To become smaller; to... |
| 2 | Middle English | schrynken | — |
| 3 | Old English | sċrincan | to shrivel up |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skrinkwaną | to shrink, pull together, shrivel |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sker- | to jump; to turn, to bend; to turn, bend |