Where does “scare” come from?
scare (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch skāri, from Proto-West Germanic skeran, from Proto-Germanic skeraną, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.
Ancestry of “scare”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | skāri | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | skeran | to shear, to cut |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skeraną | to shear |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
Words derived from “scare”