Where does “scorpion” come from?
scorpion (Norman) comes from Old French scorpïon, from Latin scorpiō, from Ancient Greek σκορπίος, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
scorpion (Norman): mole cricket
Ancestry of “scorpion”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | scorpïon | — |
| 2 | Latin | scorpiō | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σκορπίος | scorpion; scorpionfish; scorpion furze |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |