Where does “nyckelharpa” come from?

nyckelharpa (Swedish) comes from Swedish harpa, from Old Swedish harpa, 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.

nyckelharpa (Swedish): nyckelharpa

Definitions

  1. nyckelharpa

Ancestry of “nyckelharpa”, step by step

nyckelharpa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish harpa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishharpaharp
2Old Swedishharpaharp
3Old Norseharpacompress; to grip, pinch; harp
4Proto-Germanicharpǭharp
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kreb-to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,...
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

via Swedish nyckel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishnyckelkey
2Swedish-enSuffix for definite form singular of "common...
3Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
4Proto-Norse-īna-
5Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
6Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
7Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “nyckelharpa

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb-