Where does “kerf” come from?
kerf (Middle English) comes from Old English cyrf, from Finnish kurbi, from English curb, from French courbe, from Latin curbus, from Latin curvus, from Proto-Italic korwos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱorh₂wós — army.
kerf (Middle English): The act of cutting or carving; a stroke or slice
Definitions
- The act of cutting or carving; a stroke or slice
Ancestry of “kerf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | cyrf | an instrument used for cutting; a cutting; what... |
| 2 | Finnish | kurbi | curb |
| 3 | English | curb | A concrete margin along the edge of a road; a... |
| 4 | French | courbe | curve; curved; bent |
| 5 | Latin | curbus | — |
| 6 | Latin | curvus | bent, crooked, curved |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | korwos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorh₂wós | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |