Where does “sarff” come from?
sarff (Welsh) comes from German scharf, from Middle High German scharpf, 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.
sarff (Welsh): serpent
Ancestry of “sarff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | scharf | sharp; able to cut; sharp; sharp; in focus |
| 2 | Middle High German | scharpf | — |
| 3 | Old High German | scarf | sharp |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |