Where does “scharf” come from?
scharf (Middle High German) comes from Old High German scarf, from Proto-West Germanic skarp, from Proto-Germanic skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerb-, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.
Ancestry of “scharf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | scarf | sharp |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
Words derived from “scharf”