Where does “shred” come from?
shred (Middle English) comes from Old English sċrēad, from Proto-Germanic skraudō, from Proto-Germanic skraudaną, from Proto-Indo-European skrówdʰ-e-ti, from Proto-Indo-European skrew-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
Ancestry of “shred”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | sċrēad | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | skraudō | cut, crack; piece, shred |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skraudaną | to cut up, to shred |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | skrówdʰ-e-ti | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | skrew- | to cut; cutting tool |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |
Words derived from “shred”