Where does “squirrel” come from?
Squirrel comes from Middle English squirel, from Old French escurel, from Vulgar Latin scuriolus, from Latin scurius and sciurus, from Ancient Greek σκίουρος, ultimately derived from σκιά and Proto-Indo-European h₁ers-.
squirrel (English): Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae...
Definitions
- Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae...
Ancestry of “squirrel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | squirel | A squirrel; A squirrel fur or hide |
| 2 | Old French | escurel | squirrel |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | scuriolus | — |
| 4 | Latin | scūrius | — |
| 5 | Latin | sciūrus | squirrel |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | σκίουρος | squirrel |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | σκιά | shadow; shade |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃ih₂ | shadow, shade |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |