Where does “squirrelly” come from?
squirrelly (English) comes from English squirrel, from Middle English squirel, from Old French escurel, from Vulgar Latin scuriolus, from Latin scūrius, from Latin sciūrus, from Ancient Greek σκίουρος, from Ancient Greek σκιά — darkness, shadow.
squirrelly (English): resembling a squirrel; unpredictable or jumpy;...
Definitions
- resembling a squirrel; unpredictable or jumpy;...
Ancestry of “squirrelly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | squirrel | Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae... |
| 2 | Middle English | squirel | A squirrel; A squirrel fur or hide |
| 3 | Old French | escurel | squirrel |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | scuriolus | — |
| 5 | Latin | scūrius | — |
| 6 | Latin | sciūrus | squirrel |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | σκίουρος | squirrel |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | σκιά | shadow; shade |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃ih₂ | shadow, shade |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |