Where does “harpun” come from?
harpun (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from Dutch harpoen, from Middle Dutch arpoen, from Middle French harpon, from Old French harpon, from Old French harpe, from Latin harpa, from Frankish harpā, from Proto-Germanic harpǭ — to cut, cut off, sever.
harpun (Norwegian Nynorsk): a harpoon
Ancestry of “harpun”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | harpoen | A harpoon, short spearlike weapon with... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | arpoen | — |
| 3 | Middle French | harpon | hook, hold-on |
| 4 | Old French | harpon | — |
| 5 | Old French | harpe | harp |
| 6 | Latin | harpa | harp |
| 7 | Frankish | harpā | harp |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | harpǭ | harp |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kreb- | to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |