Where does “karihiir” come from?
karihiir (Estonian) comes from Estonian kari, from Proto-Finnic karja, from Proto-Germanic harjaz, from Proto-Indo-European kóryos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European ker- — army.
karihiir (Estonian): shrew
Ancestry of “karihiir”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Estonian | kari | cattle; herd, flock; reef |
| 2 | Proto-Finnic | karja | cattle; herd, flock |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | harjaz | army; army leader; commander; warrior |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kóryos | war; troops; army; war, troops |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |