Etymology Explorer › Old Danish

Where does “harpæ” come from?

harpæ (Old Danish) comes from Old Norse harpa, from Proto-Germanic harpǭ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

Ancestry of “harpæ”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseharpacompress; to grip, pinch; harp
2Proto-Germanicharpǭharp
3Proto-Indo-European(s)kreb-to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,...
4Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
5Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “harpæ”

  • jødeharpe
  • harpe
  • mundharpe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →