Where does “undershrub” come from?
undershrub (English) comes from English shrub, from Middle English schrub, from Old English sċrybb, from Proto-West Germanic *skrubbiju, from Proto-Germanic *skrubbijō, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerb-, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.
undershrub (English): A low-growing shrub
Definitions
- A low-growing shrub
Ancestry of “undershrub”, step by step
undershrub traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shrub
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shrub | A woody plant smaller than a tree, and usually... |
| 2 | Middle English | schrub | shrub, bush |
| 3 | Old English | sċrybb | a shrub; shrubbery; underbrush |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *skrubbiju | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *skrubbijō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |