Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “harvest” come from?

harvest (Middle English) comes from Old English hærfest, from Proto-West Germanic harbist, from Proto-Germanic harbistaz, from Proto-Germanic harbaz, from Proto-Indo-European kerp-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.

Ancestry of “harvest”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhærfestharvest; autumn
2Proto-West Germanicharbistharvest
3Proto-Germanicharbistazharvest; autumn, fall
4Proto-Germanicharbaz—
5Proto-Indo-Europeankerp-to pluck, harvest
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ḱer-dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth

Words derived from “harvest”

  • harvest
  • harvester
  • postharvest
  • harvestable
  • preharvest
  • overharvest
  • harvestman
  • harvestless
  • harvestability
  • unharvestable
  • nonharvest
  • harvestry
  • nonharvestable
  • preharvested
  • midharvest
  • harvestfish
  • harvesteth
  • superharvest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- →