Etymology dictionary
s/he (pron.) — shim (v.)
s/he (pron.)
artificial genderless pronoun, attested from 1977; from he + she.
she (pron.)
"the female person referred to," third person nominative fem. pronoun, used as a substitute for the name of a female or anything regarded as female, mid-12c., probably evolving from Old English seo, sio (accusative sie), fem. of the demonstrative pronoun (masc. se) "the," from PIE root *so- "this, that" (see the).
The Old English word for "she" was heo, hio, however by 13c. the pronunciation of this had converged by phonetic evolution with he "he," which apparently led to the fem. demonstrative pronoun being used in place of the pronoun (compare similar development in Dutch zij, German sie, Greek he, etc.).
The original h- survives in her. A relic of the Old English pronoun is in Manchester-area dialectal oo "she." As a noun meaning "a female human being, a woman," she is attested from early 14c. Also used to signify "female" with the names of other creatures (late 14c.; she-wolf, etc.). The attempted gender-neutral pronoun form s/he is attested by 1977.
sheaf (n.)
Middle English shef, from Old English sceaf (plural sceafas) "large bundle into which grain is bound after reaping," from Proto-Germanic *skauf- (source also of Old Saxon scof, Middle Dutch scoof, Dutch schoof, Old High German scoub "sheaf, bundle," German Schaub "sheaf;" Old Norse skauf "fox's tail;" Gothic skuft "hair on the head," German Schopf "tuft"), from PIE root *(s)keup- "cluster, tuft, hair of the head."
Extended to bundles or collections of things other than grain by c. 1300. Also used for "a handful or quiver-ful of arrows" (late 14c.), sometimes specifically as "two dozen arrows."
shear (v.)
Middle English sheren, "cut or clip, especially with a sharp instrument," from Old English sceran, scieran (class IV strong verb; past tense scear, past participle scoren; Middle English shorne) "to cleave, hew, cut with a sharp instrument; cut (the hair), shave (the beard), shear (a sheep)," from Proto-Germanic *skero "to cut" (source also of Old Norse and Old Frisian skera, Dutch scheren, German scheren "to shear"), from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut." Related: Shorn; shearing.
shears (n.)
"large scissors," Middle English sheres, from Old English scearra (plural of scear, scer) "shears, scissors," from Proto-Germanic *sker- "to cut" (source also of Middle Dutch schaer, Old High German scara, German Schere), from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut."
In 17c., also "a device for raising the masts of ships" (1620s). As "scissors," OED labels it Scottish and dialectal. Chalk is no shears (1640s) was noted as a Scottish proverb expressing the gap between planning and doing (from the notion of a tailor at work).
shear (n.)
1610s, "act of clipping, result of shaving," also as a unit of measure of the age of a sheep, from shear (v.). Also see shears, which is much older. The scientific and mechanical use in reference to a type of transverse strain is attested from 1850.
shearer (n.)
"a shearer of sheep," also "mower, reaper," perhaps also "barber;" by late 13c. as a surname (Matilda le Scherer), agent noun from shear (v.).
sheath (n.)
Middle English shethe, "close-fitting case or covering for a blade," from Old English sceaþ, scæþ, from Proto-Germanic *skaith- (source also of Old Saxon scethia, Old Norse skeiðir (plural), Old Frisian skethe, Middle Dutch schede, Dutch schede, Old High German skaida, German scheide "a sheath, scabbard"), perhaps from an extended form of PIE root *skei- "to cut, split," on the notion of a split stick with the sword blade inserted.
Extended to any somewhat similar tube-like covering by 1550s; the meaning "condom" is recorded from 1861; the sense of "close-fitting dress or skirt" is attested from 1904.
sheathe (v.)
c. 1400, shethen, "furnish (a sword, etc.) with a sheath" (a sense now obsolete), from sheath (q.v.), or from Old English *sceaþian (implied in unsceaþian). The meaning "put (a sword, etc.) in a sheath" is attested from early 15c. The general sense of "cover over, encase" is by 1630s. Related: Sheathed; sheathing.
sheave (n.)
"grooved wheel to receive a cord, wheel of a pulley," mid-14c., also "slice of bread" (late 14c.), related to or another form of shive (n.) "a slice, a piece," itself a word of uncertain origin and disputed relationship. The connecting notion in the two senses might be "length of wood."
sheave (v.)
"to gather up in sheaves," 1570s; see sheaf. Related: Sheaved; sheaving. The earlier verb in this sense was simply sheaf (c. 1500).
shebang (n.)
1862 (Whitman), "hut, shed, shelter," American English slang, popularized among soldiers in the U.S. Civil War, but like much of the soldier's slang (e.g. skedaddle, shoddy), it is of uncertain origin.
Perhaps it is an alteration of shebeen (q.v.), but shebang meaning "tavern," a seemingly necessary transitional sense, is not attested before 1878 and shebeen seems to have been not much used in the U.S. Bartlett's 1877 edition describes shebeen as "A strange word that had its origin during the late civil war. It is applied alike to a room, a shop, or a hut, a tent, a cabin; an engine house."
The phrase the whole shebang is recorded from 1869, but its relation to the earlier use of the word is obscure. Either or both senses also might be mangled pronunciations of French char-à-banc, a bus-like wagon with many seats. For an older guess:
shebeen (n.)
"cabin where unlicensed liquor is sold and drunk," 1781, chiefly in Ireland and Scotland, from Irish seibin "small mug," also "bad ale," diminutive of seibe "mug, bottle, liquid measure." The word immigrated and persisted in South African and West Indian English.
shed (v.)
"cast off," Middle English sheden, from Old English sceadan, scadan "to divide, separate, part company; discriminate, decide; scatter abroad, cast about," strong verb (past tense scead, past participle sceadan), from Proto-Germanic *skaithan (source also of Old Saxon skethan, Old Frisian sketha, Middle Dutch sceiden, Dutch scheiden, Old High German sceidan, German scheiden "part, separate, distinguish," Gothic skaidan "separate"), from an extended form of PIE root *skei- "to cut, split."
Of tears, from late 12c.; of light, from c. 1200. In reference to animals, "to lose hair, feathers, etc., by natural process," it is recorded from c. 1500; of trees losing leaves from 1590s; of persons and their clothes, by 1858, American English colloquial.
This verb in Old English was used to gloss Late Latin words in the sense "to discriminate, to decide" that literally mean "to divide, separate" (compare discern). Hence also Old English scead (n.) "separation, distinction; discretion, understanding, reason;" sceadwisnes "discrimination, discretion" (see shed (n.2)). Related: Shedding. To shed blood "kill by shedding blood" is from c. 1300 A shedding-tooth (1799) was a milk-tooth or baby-tooth.
shed (n.1)
"building for storage," 1855, earlier "light, temporary shelter" (late 15c., Caxton, shadde), possibly a dialectal variant of a specialized use of shade (n.). Originally of the barest sort of shelter. Or from or influenced in sense development by Middle English shudde (shud) "a shed, hut," which survives, if at all, in dialect, from Old English OE scydd.
shed (n.2)
c. 1300, shede, "the parting of the hair made by combing," from Old English scead, sceada "separation of one thing from another," from the source of shed (v.). As "ridge of high ground dividing two valleys," 1876, probably shortened from watershed (q.v.).
she-devil (n.)
"difficult woman," 1840, from she + devil (n.). Deviless "female devil" is from 1640s.
sheela-na-gig (n.)
type of medieval carved stone female figure, 1846, from Irish Sile na gcioch, literally "Sheila of the breasts" [OED]. According to modern folklorists, not a Celtic survival, but originating rather in the Romanesque churches of France and northern Spain. Their theories that it is meant to degrade the female body and discourage sexuality, or that it is meant as an apotropaic gesture to ward off the devil, are not entirely convincing.
sheen (n.)
"shining, luster, brightness, splendor" 1602 (in "Hamlet" iii.2), noun use of adjective sheene "beautiful, bright," from Old English scene, sciene "beautiful; bright, brilliant," from Proto-Germanic *skauniz "conspicuous" (source also of Old Frisian skene, Middle Dutch scone, Dutch schoon, Old High German skoni, German schön "fair, beautiful;" Gothic skaunjai "beautiful"), from PIE root *keu- "to see, observe, perceive." It is related to show (v.), and OED calls it "virtually a verbal noun to shine."
The meaning "thin film of oil on water" is from 1970. As an adjective now only in poetic or archaic use, but in Middle English used after a woman's name, or as a noun, "fair one, beautiful woman."
sheeney (n.)
"a Jew," 1816, of unknown origin. OED points to Russian zhid, Polish żyd, Czech zid "a Jew." Opprobrious by late 19c. and subsequently a vulgar term of abuse, but it was used before c. 1870 by Jews and Gentiles without apparent intent of insult.
sheep (n.)
ruminant mammal of the genus Ovis, as a domestic species, one of the animals most useful to humans, Old English sceap, scep, Northumbrian scap, from West Germanic *skæpan (source also of Old Saxon scap, Old Frisian skep, Middle Low German schap, Middle Dutch scaep, Dutch schaap, Old High German scaf, German Schaf), a word of unknown origin. Not found in Scandinavian (Danish has faar for "sheep") or Gothic (which uses lamb), and with no known cognates outside Germanic. The more usual Indo-European word for the animal is represented in English by ewe.
The plural was leveled with the singular in Old English, but Old Northumbrian had a plural scipo. It has been used from Old English times as a type of timidity and figuratively of those under the guidance of God. The meaning "stupid, timid person" is attested from 1540s.
The image of the wolf in sheep's clothing was in Old English (from Matthew vii.15); that of separating the sheep from the goats is from Matthew xxv.33; the phrase itself by 1570s. To count sheep in a bid to induce sleep is recorded from 1854 but seems not to have been commonly written about until 1870s. It might simply be a type of a tedious activity, but an account of shepherd life from Australia from 1849 ["Sidney's Emigrant's Journal"] describes the night-shepherd ("hut-keeper") taking a count of the sheep regularly at the end of his shift to protect against being answerable for any animals later lost or killed.
Sheep's eyes "loving looks" is attested from 1520s (compare West Frisian skiepseach, Dutch schaapsoog, German Schafsauge). A sheep-biter was "an ill-trained mongrel, a dog that worries sheep" (1540s) and had extended senses: a mutton-monger" (1590s); and "a whore-monger" (1610s, i.e. one who "chases mutton"); hence Shakespeare's sheep-biting "thieving, sneaky." An old London chronicle c. 1450 has went to sheep-wash for "were slain."
sheep-dip (n.)
"preparation for washing sheep," by 1865, from sheep (n.) + dip (n.1).
sheep-dog (n.)
"a dog (especially a collie) trained to watch and tend sheep," 1774, from sheep (n.) + dog (n.).
sheepfold (n.)
"enclosure or pen for sheep," mid-15c., shepefald; see sheep (n.) + fold (n.1). Late Old English had sceapa felde.
sheepish (adj.)
c. 1200, shepishe, "of, pertaining to, or resembling a sheep" in some perceived characteristic, from sheep + -ish. Originally "meek, modest, docile, simple," often as qualities of good Christians. With suggestions of "easy to deceive" by c. 1400. The sense of "bashful, over-modest, awkward and timorous among strangers" is recorded by 1690s. Related: Sheepishly; sheepishness. Chaucer, Sidney, and Dylan Thomas use sheepy (adj.). Sheeply (Old English had sceaplic "of a sheep") seems less common.
sheep-shank (n.)
also sheepshank, 1670s, "leg of a sheep," from sheep + shank (n.). A type of something lank, slender, or weak. Attested earlier in transferred sense of "type of sailor's knot used to shorten a rope without cutting it" (1620s).
sheepskin (n.)
late 12c., "leather made from the skin of a sheep," especially when dressed or preserved with the wool on, from sheep + skin (n.). By mid-14c. as "piece of parchment with writing on it;" the U.S. slang meaning "diploma" dates from 1804; so called because formerly they were written on sheepskin parchment.
sheer (adj.)
c. 1200, "exempt, free from guilt" (as in Sheer Thursday, the Thursday of Holy Week, the day before the Crucifixion); later schiere "thin, sparse" (c. 1400), a variant of skere, from late Old English scir "bright, clear, gleaming; translucent; pure, unmixed." The Middle English word might also be from or influenced by the Old Norse cognate scær "bright, clean, pure." Both of these are from Proto-Germanic *skeran (source also of Old Saxon skiri, Old Frisian skire, German schier, Gothic skeirs "clean, pure"), from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut."
The sense of "absolute, utter" (sheer nonsense) developed by 1580s, probably from the notion of "unmixed, uncombined with anything else;" that of "very steep, straight up and down" (a sheer cliff) is recorded from 1800, probably from notion of "continued without halting." Especially of textile fabrics, "diaphanous, very thin and delicate," from 1560s. As an adverb from c. 1600; also sheerly.
sheer (v.)
1620s, of a ship, "deviate from a line or course," a nautical word of obscure origin, perhaps from Dutch scheren "to move aside, withdraw, depart," originally "to separate" (see shear (v.)). In the general sense of "change one's course" by 1704. Related: Sheered; sheering. As a noun from 1660s.
sheet (n.1)
[length of cloth] Old English sciete (West Saxon), scete (Mercian) "length of cloth, covering, napkin, towel, shroud," according to Watkins from Proto-Germanic *skautjon-, with notions of "corner," from *skauta- "project" (source also of Old Norse skaut, Gothic skauts "seam, hem of a garment;" Dutch schoot; German Schoß "bosom, lap"), from PIE root *skeud- "to shoot, chase, throw." "A very abstract and uncertain semantic development" according to Boutkan (who rightly can't resist adding a German assessment of it, etwas hervorragendes).
It is attested by mid-13c. as "large square or rectangular piece of linen or cotton spread over a bed next to the sleeper." The sense of "oblong or square piece of paper," especially one suitable for writing or printing on, is recorded by c. 1500; that of "any broad, flat, relatively thin surface" (of metal, open water, etc.) is from 1590s. Of a continuous sweep of falling rain from 1690s. The meaning "a newspaper" is recorded by 1749.
Sheet lightning, caused by cloud reflection, is attested from 1794; sheet music is from 1857. Between the sheets "in bed" (usually with sexual overtones) is attested from 1590s (played upon in "Much Ado"); to be white as a sheet is from 1751. The first element in sheet-anchor (late 15c.), one used only in emergencies, appears to be a different word, of unknown origin, perhaps with some connection to shoot (v.) on the notion of being "shot out."
sheet (n.2)
"rope fastened to one of the lower corners of a sail to control it," late 13c., shete, shortened from Old English sceatline "sheet-line," from sceata "lower part of sail," originally "piece of cloth," from same Proto-Germanic source as sheet (n.1). Compare Old Norse skaut, Dutch schoot, German Schote "rope fastened to a sail."
The rope sense of sheet probably is that in the phrase three sheets to the wind "drunk and disorganized," which is recorded by 1812 (in the form three sheets in the wind), an image of a sloop-rigged sailboat whose three sheet-lines have slipped through the blocks are lost to the wind, thus "out of control." Apparently there was an early 19c. informal drunkenness scale in use among sailors and involving one, two, and three sheets, three signifying the highest degree of inebriation; there is a two sheets in the wind from 1813.
Sheetrock (n.)
1921, proprietary name (claiming use from 1917) of a type of plaster wall-board, U.S. Gypsum Co., Chicago, Ill.; from sheet (n.1) + rock (n.).
Sheffield
manufacturing city in Yorkshire, noted for cutlery and metalwork at least since 14c. (Chaucer's Sheffeld thwitel, a knife made in Sheffield). The name is from late Old English Scafeld "Open Land by the River Sheaf." The Old English river name is perhaps from sceað "boundary."
sheik (n.)
also sheikh, "head of an Arab family," also "head of a Muslim religious order," and later also a general title of respect, 1570s, from Arabic shaykh "chief," literally "old man," from base of shakha "to grow old." Popularized by "The Sheik," the 1919 novel in an Arabian setting by E.M. Hull, and the movie version, "The Sheik" (1921), starring Rudolph Valentino, which gave the word its colloquial sense of "strong, romantic lover." The word gave French fits: Old French had it as seic, esceque, and later forms included scheik, cheikh.
Sheila
fem. proper name, Irish equivalent of Celia, shortened form of Cecilia, the fem. form of Cecil. A standard type of an Irish women's name since 1828, hence later slang sense of "girlfriend, young woman." An 1839 source has shalers as a "country phrase" for "girls," and this may represent the casual pronunciation of the name.
shekel (n.)
"chief silver coin of the ancient Hebrews," early 13c., sicle, via Old French, Latin (siclus) and Greek (siklos), from Hebrew sheqel, from shaqal "he weighed." The coin was first issued c. 141 B.C.E. and so called for its weight, which seems to have been the original sense of sheqel; the unit of weight is from the Babylonian system, picked up by the Hebrews and Phoenicians, equal to 0ne-sixtieth of a mina. The modern form in English dates from mid-16c. As slang for "money," it is attested by 1871.
sheldrake (n.)
multi-colored duck, early 14c. (late 12c. as a surname), from sheld- "variegated" + drake "male duck." The first element probably is cognate with, or from, Middle Dutch schillede "separated, variegated," West Flemish schilde, from schillen (Dutch verschillen "to make different"), from Proto-Germanic *skeli-, from PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut."
This is the origin considered most likely, though English sheld by itself is a dialect word attested only from c. 1500. OED finds derivation from shield (n.), on resemblance to the patterns on shields, "improbable." Compare sheldapple, a 16c. name for types of birds remarkable for variegated plumage (the second element of that might be a variant of alp, an old word for "bullfinch").
shelf (n.1)
late 14c., "thin slab or plank fixed horizontally to a wall or frame and used for supporting small objects; a transverse board in a case or cabinet," perhaps from Middle Low German schelf "shelf, set of shelves," or perhaps from Old English cognate scylfe, which could have meant "shelf, ledge, floor, deck of a ship" (the sense is uncertain), and scylf "peak, pinnacle."
These all are from Proto-Germanic *skelf- "split," possibly from the notion of a split piece of wood (compare Old Norse skjölf "bench"), from an extended form of the PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut," and thus distantly related to shell, etc.
From mid-15c. as "grassy bank." The meaning "ledge of rock" (as in later continental shelf) is from 1809, perhaps from or influenced by shelf (n.2).
By 1920s in reference to the display of goods in a shop, hence shelf life "time goods may be kept or stored unsold before they begin to spoil" (1927). The figurative phrase on the shelf "out of the way, inactive" is attested from 1570s (also used 19c. of unmarried women with no prospects). Off the shelf "ready-made, from a supply of ready-made goods" is from 1936. Related: Shelves.
shelf (n.2)
"sandbank, underwater ridge," 1540s, a word of obscure origin; evidently identical to Middle English shelp "sandbar in a river" (early 15c.), but the sound shift is unexpected. Shelp might be from Old English scylp "crag" or Middle Dutch schelp-. Also sometimes regarded as a particular use of shelf (n.1) or from the verbs shelve. Related: Shelfy "abounding in sandbanks."
shell (v.)
1560s, "to remove (a nut, etc.) from its shell," from shell (n.). The general sense of "remove or strip off the outer covering of" is by 1690s. It also can mean "enclose in a case" (1630s). The military meaning "bombard with shells" is attested by 1856. To shell out "disburse, hand over, deliver" (1801) is a figurative slang use from the image of extracting nuts. Related: Shelled; shelling.
shelled (adj.)
1570s, "having a shell;" past-participle adjective from shell (v.). Attested from 1670s in the sense of "deprived of a shell." Military use for "bombarded by shells" is from 1850s.
shell (n.)
"hard outer covering," Middle English shel, shelle, from Old English sciell, scill, Anglian scell "seashell; eggshell," which is related to Old English scealu "shell, husk," from Proto-Germanic *skaljo "piece cut off; shell; scale" (source also of West Frisian skyl "peel, rind," Middle Low German schelle "pod, rind, egg shell," Gothic skalja "tile"), with the shared notion of "covering that splits off," from PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut." Italian scaglia "chip" is from Germanic.
Also in late Old English as "a coating or layer." The general sense of "protective outer covering of some invertebrates" is in Middle English (by c. 1400 as "house of a snail;" by 1540s in reference to a tortoise or turtle); the meaning "outer layer of a nut" (or a fruit considered as a nut) is by mid-14c. With notion of "mere exterior," hence "empty or hollow thing" by 1650s. The meaning "hollow framework" is from 1791; that of "structure for a band or orchestra" is attested from 1938. To be out of (one's) shell "emerged into life" is by 1550s.
Military use for "explosive projectile" is by 1640s, first of hand grenades, and originally in reference to the metal case in which the gunpowder and shot were mixed; the notion is of a "hollow object" filled with explosives. Hence shell shock, "traumatic reaction to the stress of battle," recorded by 1915.
Shell game "a swindle" is from 1890, from a version of the three-card game played with a pea and walnut shells.
shellac (v.)
1876, "coat or varnish with shellac," from shellac (n.). The slang sense of "beat soundly" is by 1930 (implied in shellacked), perhaps from the notion of shellac as a "finish." Slang shellacked "drunk" is listed in "Dialect Notes" in 1922 (compare plastered under plaster (v.)). Related: Shellacking.
shellac (n.)
also shell lac, "lac melted and formed into thin plates," 1713, from shell (n.) + lac; so called for its form. It translates French laque en écailles "lac in thin plates." Commercially, lac came as stick lac (still on the twigs, insects and all), seed-lac (resin without the twigs and insects, partly processed), and fully processed plates of shell lac.
shellbark (n.)
1796 as the name of a type of hickory of eastern North America, short for shellbark hickory, from shell (n.) + bark (n.1).
shellfish (n.)
also shell-fish, "animal that lives in the water and has a shell," Old English scylfiscas (plural); see shell (n.) + fish (n.) in the old general sense of "aquatic animal."
shelly (adj.)
1550s, "abounding in shells;" 1590s, "of or of the nature of a shell or shells;" from shell (n.) + -y (2).
shelta (n.)
secret language of Irish tinkers, 1876, a word (predictably) of unknown origin. According to OED it mostly consists of Irish or Gaelic words with inversion or arbitrary substitution of initial consonants, and shelta itself might be an instance of this.
shelter (n.)
1580s, "structure affording protection," also figurative; 1590s, "state of being sheltered;" a word of disputed origin, possibly an alteration of Middle English sheltroun, sheltron, sheldtrume "roof or wall formed by locked shields," also "group of soldiers in tight battle formation, a wing of an army," from Old English scyldtruma, from scield "shield" (see shield (n.)) + truma "troop," related to Old English trum "strong, firm, stable," from Proto-Germanic *trum-, from PIE *dru-mo-, suffixed form of root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast."
If so, the original notion is of a compact body of men protected by interlocking shields. But OED finds this "untenable" based on a gap in the record between the Middle English and modern words, and proposed derivation from shield + -ture.
The meaning "temporary lodging for homeless poor" is recorded by 1890 in Salvation Army jargon; the sense of "temporary home for animals" is from 1971. Related: Shelterless.
shelter (v.)
1580s, "to screen, protect," from exposure, attack, injury, etc., from shelter (n.); in the income investment sense, "protect from taxation," by 1955. The intransitive meaning "to take shelter" is from 1590s. Related: Sheltered; sheltering.
sheltered (adj.)
"screened, protected," 1590s, past-participle adjective from shelter (v.). The meaning "protected from life's usual hardships" is from 1888 (in sheltered life). Related: Shelteredness.
Sheltie (n.)
also Shelty, type of small, sturdy horse, 1640s, "Shetland pony," an abbreviation of Sheltand, a metathesis of Shetland. Or the word may represent the Orkney pronunciation of Old Norse Hjalti "Shetlander."
shelve (v.1)
1590s, "to overhang," also "to provide with shelves," probably a back-formation from shelves, plural of shelf (n.1). The meaning "put or lay on a shelf" is recorded by 1650s; the figurative or metaphoric sense of "lay aside as not needed, dismiss by neglect" is from 1812. Related: Shelved; shelving.
shelve (v.2)
"to slope gradually," 1610s, from Middle English shelven "to slope" (c. 1400), which is probably more or less from shelfe "grassy slope," a word related to shelf (n.1). Related: Shelved; shelving.
shelving (n.)
"material used for shelves; shelves collectively," 1817, verbal noun from shelve (v.1).
Shema
first word of Deuteronomy vi.4, from Hebrew shema "hear!," imperative of shama "to hear."
she-male (n.)
by 1860, U.S. colloquial, "a female, a woman," from she + male.
This became obsolete, and by 1972 it had been recoined (disparagingly) for "masculine lesbian." The sense of "transsexual male" seems to date from c. 1984.
shemozzle (n.)
see schlemazel.
Shenandoah
originally a place name in Dutchess County, N.Y., from the Oneida (Iroquoian) family name Skenondoah, derived from oskenon:to "deer." By c. 1730 it had been transferred to the river and valley in Virginia, and later also to places in other states.
shenanigans (n.)
see shenanigan.
shenanigan (n.)
"nonsense; deceit, humbug," 1855, American English slang, of uncertain origin. Earliest records of it are in California (San Francisco and Sacramento). Suggestions include Spanish chanada, a shortened form of charranada "trick, deceit;" or, less likely, German Schenigelei, peddler's argot for "work, craft," or the related German slang verb schinäglen. Another guess centers on Irish sionnach "fox," and the form is perhaps conformed to an Irish surname.
shend (n.)
"shame, disgrace" (obsolete or dialectal), Middle English, from Old English scand "ignominy, shame, confusion, disgrace; scandal, disgraceful thing; wretch, impostor, infamous man; bad woman," from the source of Old English scamu "shame" (see shame (n.)) + -þa, with change of -m- to -n- before a dental (compare Old Frisian skande, Dutch schande, Old High German scanda, German Schande "disgrace"). Also in early Modern English as a verb, shend (from Old English scendan) "put to shame; blame, reproach; bring to ruin."
It was active in forming compounds, such as shendful "ignominious, humiliating" (Old English scandful) "shameful," shendship "disgrace; destruction, ruin, torments of Hell;" shendness "destruction, harm ruin;" Old English scandhus "house of ill-fame," scandlic "shameful," scandlufiende "loving shamefully," scandword "obscene language."
Sheol (n.)
"the place of departed spirits," 1590s, from Hebrew, literally "the underworld, Hades," of unknown origin. Used in R.V. in place of Hell in many passages.
shepherd (v.)
1790, "to tend, guard, and watch sheep," from shepherd (n.). The metaphoric sense of "watch over or guide" is attested by 1820. Related: Shepherded; shepherding.
shepherd (n.)
Middle English shep-herd, "man who leads, tends, and guards sheep in a pasture," from Old English sceaphierde, from sceap "sheep" (see sheep) + hierde "herder," from heord "a herd" (see herd (n.)). Similar formation in Middle Low German, Middle Dutch schaphirde, Middle High German schafhirte, German dialectal Schafhirt.
Shepherds customarily were buried with a tuft of wool in hand, to prove on Doomsday their occupation and be excused for often missing Sunday church. Shepherd's pie is recorded from 1877; so called because the meat in it was typically mutton or lamb.
shepherdess (n.)
"female keeper of sheep," also "wife of a shepherd; a rural lass," late 14c. (early 14c. as a surname), from shepherd (n.) + -ess.
Sheraton
severe style of late 18c. English furniture, by 1883, from the name of cabinetmaker Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806). The family name is from a place in Durham, late Old English Scurufatun (c.1040), probably "farmstead of a man called Skurfa" (an old Scandinavian personal name). The hotel chain dates from 1937 and has no obvious direct connection to any of the older uses.
sherbet (n.)
1580s as sorbet; other early spellings include zerbet, cherbet; the form sherbert is attested by 1670s. Originally a cooling drink of the East, made from diluted fruit juice and sugar and chilled with fresh snow when possible. The word is from Turkish serbet, from Persian sharbat, from Arabic sharba(t) "a drink," from shariba "he drank."
In 16c-18c. in reference to a drink, sometimes served with ice. By 1723 it could also be a prepared syrup that was added to punch or other drinks. The frozen dessert appears to be an Italian invention, attested in English 1760 as sorbetto, offering sherbet in the definition.
Milk sherbet, with dairy added, is by 1827. French spelling sorbet readopted in English by 1828, originally always with full French name (sorbet au cafe, sorbet a la pistache, etc.) in recipes that could be indistinguishable from ice cream.
In later 19c. the French sorbet (in this era, in English cookbooks) necessarily contained alcohol, and was thus differentiated from sherbet. In early 20c. sherbet was distinguished from ices by including egg whites or other stabilizers; around the 1940s the addition of dairy became the designator (an article in Confectionary and Ice Cream World dated July 18, 1947, discusses new state laws requiring milk solids be included in sherbet.) Sorbet lost the alcohol connection after American prohibition, and came to designate a dessert of sweetened fruit juice or pulp without added dairy.
In chiefly British use, sherbet also refers to a kind of powder that is stirred into water to make a fizzy drink, by 1850.
Related to syrup, and compare sorbet.
sheriff (n.)
Middle English shir-reve, "high crown official having various legal and administrative duties within a jurisdiction," from late Old English scirgerefa "representative of royal authority in a shire," from scir (see shire) + gerefa "chief, official, reeve" (see reeve).
As a county official in American colonies, later U.S. states, it is attested from 1660s; sheriff's sale is recorded by 1798. Sheriff's tooth (late 14c.) was a common name for the annual tax levied to pay for the sheriff's victuals during court sessions. Related: Sheriffdom; sheriffalty; sheriffhood; sheriffship; sheriffwick.
Sherlock
masc. proper name, literally "fair-haired," from Old English scir "bright" (see sheer (adj.)) + locc "lock of hair" (see lock (n.2)). Slang for "private detective, perceptive person" (the latter often ironic) is attested by 1903, from A.C. Doyle's fictional character Sherlock Holmes (the character's full name in this sense was so used from 1896; Holmes debuted in 1887 and was popular by 1892).
Sherman
The surname is from Old English scearra "shears" (see shears) + mann "man" (see man (n.)); hence "shearer of woolen garments." As a type of U.S. medium tank used in World War II, 1942, named for U.S. Civil War Gen. William T. Sherman (1820-1891). In U.S. history the Sherman Acts (1890) were named for U.S. Sen John Sherman (1823-1900) of Ohio, brother of the general.
Sherpa
Tibetan people inhabiting the southern slopes of the Himalayas, 1847, from Tibetan, literally "dweller in an eastern country."
sherry (n.)
kind of white wine, originally from the south of Spain, c. 1600, a mistaken singular from sherris (1530s), from Spanish (vino de) Xeres "(wine from) Xeres," modern Jerez (Roman urbs Caesaris) in Spain, near the port of Cadiz, in the district where the wine was made.
shet
1837, in Georgia vernacular, representing a U.S. colloquial pronunciation of shut. Especially in the expression get shet of "get rid of."
Shetland
group of islands north of Scotland, from Old Norse Hjaltland; in reference to a type of pony, 1801; as a breed of sheep, 1794. Related: Shetlander.
shewbread (n.)
1530, Tyndale's word (Exodus xxv:30), based on or influenced by German schaubrot (in Luther), literally "show-bread," translating Latin panes propositiones, from Greek artai enopioi, from Hebrew lechem panim, the 12 loaves placed every Sabbath "before the Lord" on a table beside the altar of incense, from lechem "bread" + panim "face, presence." Old English translations used offring-hlafas.
shewel (n.)
"something hung up to keep wild animals away, a scarecrow," mid-13c., sheueles, perhaps in Old English as *sciewels, from the same source as shy (adj.); a derivative of the Germanic verb which in Modern German became scheuen "to scare."
Shia (n.)
also Shiah, 1620s, a collective name for one of the two great Muslim sects, from Arabic shi'ah "partisans, followers, sect, company, faction" (from sha'a "to follow"). This is the proper use, but it commonly is used in English to mean "a Shiite." In Arabic, shi'ah is the name of the sect, shiya'iy is a member of the sect.
The branch of Islam that recognizes Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law, as the lawful successor of the Prophet; the minority who believed, after the death of the Prophet, that spiritual and political authority followed his family line, as opposed to the Sunni, who took Abu Bakr as the political leader of the community. The Arabic name is short for Shi'at Ali "the party of Ali."
shiatsu (n.)
type of finger-massage body therapy, 1967, from Japanese, said to mean literally "finger-pressure."
shibboleth (n.)
late 14c., in Bible translations, the Hebrew word shibboleth, meaning "flood, stream," also "ear of corn," as used in Judges xii.4-6. During the slaughter at the fords of Jordan, the Gileadites took it as a password to distinguish their men from fleeing Ephraimites, because Ephraimites could not pronounce the -sh- sound. (Modern commentators have decided the Hebrew word there probably was used in the "river" sense, in reference to the Jordan).
Hence the figurative sense of "watchword or test-word or pet phrase of a party, sect, school, etc." (by 1630s), which evolved by 1862 to "outmoded slogan still adhered to."
Elsewhere in history, a similar test-word was cicera "chick pease," used by the Italians to identify the French (who could not pronounce it correctly) during the massacre called the Sicilian Vespers (1282). There have been, and will be, others.
shield (n.)
Middle English sheld, "frame or rounded plate of wood, metal, etc., carried by an warrior on the arm or in the hand as defense," from Old English scield, scild "shield; protector, defender," originally "board," from Proto-Germanic *skelduz (source also of Old Norse skjöldr, Old Saxon skild, Middle Dutch scilt, Dutch schild, German Schild, Gothic skildus), from *skel- "divide, split, separate," from PIE root *skel- (1) "to cut."
The IE sense evolution of that proposal is uncertain; the ancient notion is perhaps a flat piece of wood made by splitting a log, but Boutkan writes, "it seems more probable to me that the word designated a means of protection, i.e. a separation between the fighter and the enemy."
Shield usually meant a larger defensive device, covering much of the body, as opposed to a buckler. Shield volcano (1911) translates German Schildvulkan (1910). The plate tectonics sense of shield as "large, stable mass of Achaean rock forming a continental nucleus" is by 1906, translating Suess (1888).
shield (v.)
Middle English shelden "protect, defend, or shelter (someone or something) from danger or harm; defend by interposition," from Old English gescildan, from the root of shield (n.). Related: Shielded; shielding. Compare German scilden.
shift (n.2)
"body garment, underclothing," 1590s, originally used alike of men's and women's garments, probably from shift (n.1), which was commonly used in reference to a change of clothes. In 17c., shift (n.) in this sense began to be used as a euphemism for smock, and was itself displaced, for similar reasons of delicacy, in 19c. by chemise.
shift (n.1)
c. 1300, "a movement, a beginning," from shift (v.); by mid-15c. as "an attempt, expedient, or means." This is the word in make shift "make efforts" (mid-15c.; see makeshift). The specific sense of "means to an end" is from 1520s, hence "a device, a trick." The sense of "change, alteration" in character, place, position, etc., is from 1560s.
The meaning "mechanism for changing gear in a motor vehicle" is recorded from 1914. Typewriter shift key is so called by 1893; its shift-lock is so called from 1899.
The meaning "period of working time" (originally in a mine) is attested from 1809, perhaps from or influenced by an older sense "relay of horses" (1708); perhaps also influenced by a North Sea Germanic cognate word (such as North Frisian skeft "division, stratum," skaft "one of successive parties of workmen"). Similar double senses of "division" and "relay of workers" is in Swedish skift, German schicht.
shift (v.)
Middle English shiften, from Old English sciftan, scyftan "arrange, place, put in order" (a sense now obsolete), also "divide, separate, partition; distribute, allot, share" (now obsolete or provincial), from Proto-Germanic *skiftan (source also of Old Norse skipta "to divide, change, separate," Old Frisian skifta "to decide, determine, test," Dutch schiften "to divide, turn," German schichten "to classify," Schicht "shift"). This is said to be related to the source of Old English sceadan "divide, separate" (see shed (v.)).
By c. 1200 as "to dispose; make ready; set in order, control," also intransitive, "take care of oneself." Thus "manage to succeed, make out a livelihood" (as in shift for oneself, 1510s; also compare makeshift).
The sense of "to alter, to change" appeared by mid-13c. (compare shiftless). Also from mid-13c. in the transitive sense of "remove and replace with another or others," originally especially of clothing, hence "put on and replace one's clothes" (c.1400).
From c. 1300 as "to go, move, depart; move (someone or something), transport" as from one place or position to another. The meaning "change the gear setting of an engine" is from 1910; to shift gears in the figurative sense is from 1961. Related: Shifted; shifting.
shifting (adj.)
late 15c., "changing, changeable, varying, unsteady," present-participle adjective from shift (v.). By 1580s as "shifty, using tricks or deceits."
shifter (n.)
1550s, "one who shifts" in any way; agent noun from shift (v.). As a mechanical contrivance used for shifting, from 1869; specifically of the gear-changing mechanism in a motor-vehicle by 1915 (short for gear-shifter, 1910). It was also formerly the name of a ship's cook's assistant whose job, among other work, was shifting the salt provisions (1704).
shifty (adj.)
1560s, "well able to manage for oneself, fertile in expedients," from shift (n.1) in secondary sense of "dodge, trick, artifice" + -y (2). The meaning "habitually using dishonest methods, characterized by trickery, not straightforward" is by 1837. Of the wind, in a sense of "prone to shifting," by 1884. Related: Shiftily; shiftiness.
shiftless (adj.)
"wanting in resources or energy and ability to shift for oneself, deficient in organizing or executive ability," 1580s, from shift (n.1) in the sense "resources" + -less. Also compare shift (v.). Related: Shiftlessly; shiftlessness.
shih-tzu (n.)
also shih tzu, breed of small long-haired dog, 1921, from Chinese shizigou, from shi "lion" + zi "son" + gou "dog."
Shiism (n.)
"body of principles or doctrines of the Shiites;" by 1883, from Shia + -ism.
Shiite (n.)
1728, "a member of the Shia sect of Islam," from Shia + -ite (1), a Latin-derived suffix denoting "follower." Related: Shiitic "of or pertaining to the Shiites."
shiitake (n.)
type of mushroom widely used in Japanese cookery, 1877, from Japanese, from shii, name of several types of evergreen trees, + take "mushroom." So called because the spores were planted on logs of certain evergreen beeches.
Shikoku
Japanese island, literally "four provinces," from shi "four" + koku "province."
shiksa (n.)
"gentile girl," in Jewish culture, dismissive or disparaging, 1892 (Zangwill), from Yiddish shikse, from Hebrew siqsa, from sheqes "a detested thing" + fem. suffix -a.
shilling (n.)
English monetary unit, Middle English shilling, from Old English scilling, scylling, a coin of account consisting of a varying number of pence (on the continent and in England after the Conquest, commonly 12 pennies to a shilling, 20 shillings to a pound), from Proto-Germanic *skillingoz- (source also of Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Old Frisian, Old High German skilling, Old Norse skillingr, Dutch schelling, German Schilling, Gothic skilliggs).
Some etymologists trace this to the root *skell- "to resound, to ring," and others to the root *(s)kel- (1) "to cut" (perhaps via sense of "shield" from resemblance to one or as a device on coins (see shield (n.)) or from the cut or clipped segments of precious metal used as money).
The ending may represent the diminutive suffix -ling, or Germanic -ing "fractional part" (compare farthing). Old Church Slavonic skulezi, Polish szeląg, Spanish escalin, French schelling, Italian scellino are loan-words from Germanic. The modern English silver shilling dates to Henry VII.
shill (n.)
"one who acts as a decoy for a gambler, auctioneer, etc.," by 1911, in newspaper exposés of fake auctions, perhaps originally a word from U.S. circus or carnival argot and a shortened form of shilaber, shillaber (1908) "one who attempts to lure or customers," itself of unknown origin and also a surname. Carny slang often is deeply obscure. The verb, "act as a shill," is attested by 1914. Related: Shilled; shilling.
shillelagh (n.)
"cudgel," 1772, also shillalah, shillaly, etc.; earlier it meant "oak wood used to make cudgels" (1670s), from Shillelagh, the town and barony in County Wicklow, Ireland, famous for its oaks. The name is etymologically "seeds (or descendants) of Elach," from Irish siol "seed."
shilly-shally (v.)
"to vacillate, hesitate, act in an irresolute manner," 1782, from the adverbial expression to stand shilly-shally (1703), earlier shill I, shall I (1700), a fanciful reduplication of shall I? (compare wishy-washy, dilly-dally, etc.). From 1734 as an adjective, by 1755 as a colloquial noun, "indecision, foolish trifling." Related: Shilly-shallying (1816); shilly-shallier; shilly-shallyer.
Shiloh
village on the west bank of the Jordan River, perhaps from an alteration of Hebrew shalo "to be peaceful." The American Civil War battle fought in western Tennessee (April 6-7, 1862) was so called for being fought around the little Shiloh log church (Methodist), which was destroyed in the battle.
shim (v.)
"to wedge up a surface or fill out by means of a shim," 1877, from shim (n.). Related: Shimmed; shimming.