Online Etymology Dictionary

shack: 1878, Amer.Eng. and Canadian Eng., of unknown origin, perhaps from Mex.Sp. jacal, from Nahuatl xacalli "wooden hut." Or perhaps a back-formation from dial. Eng. shackly "shaky, rickety" (1843), a derivative of shack, a dial. variant of shake (q.v.). Another theory derives shack from ramshackle. Slang verb phrase shack up "cohabit" first recorded 1935 (in Zora Neale Hurston).
shackle: O.E. sceacel, from P.Gmc. *skakula- (cf. M.Du., Du. schakel "link of a chain," O.N. skökull "pole of a carriage"), of uncertain origin. The common notion of "something to fasten or attach" makes a connection with shake unlikely. The verb is first recorded mid-15c. Shacklebolt "bolt which passes through the eyes of a shackle" is recorded from 1680s.
shad: O.E. sceadd, possibly from Scandinavian (cf. Norw. dialectal skadd "small whitefish"); but cf. Welsh ysgadan (pl.), Ir., Gael. sgadan "herring." Low Ger. schade may be from English.
shade: O.E. sceadu "shade, shadow, darkness," also "shady place, protection from glare or heat," from P.Gmc. *skadwo (cf. O.S. skado, M.Du. scade, Du. schaduw, O.H.G. scato, Ger. Schatten, Goth. skadus), from PIE *skotwa, from base *skot- "dark, shade" (cf. Gk. skotos "darkness," Alb. kot "darkness," O.Ir. scath, O.Welsh scod, Bret. squeut "darkness"). Meaning "grade of color" first recorded 1690 (cf. Fr. nuance, from nue "cloud"). Meaning "ghost" is from 1616. Sense of "window blind" first recorded 1867, Amer.Eng. The verb meaning "to screen from light or heat" is recorded from c.1400.
shadow (n.): O.E. sceadwe, sceaduwe, oblique cases of sceadu (see shade). As a designation of members of an opposition party chosen as counterparts of the government in power, it is recorded from 1906. Shadow of Death (Ps. xxiii:4, etc.) is Gk. skia thanatou, perhaps a mistranslation of a Heb. word for "intense darkness."
shadow (v.): late O.E. sceadwian "to protect as with covering wings" (cf. also overshadow), from the root of shadow (n.). Meaning "to follow like a shadow" is from c.1600 in an isolated instance; not attested again until 1872.
shadow boxing: 1924; shadow-fight is attested from 1768; cf. also sciamachy.
shadowland: "abode of ghosts and spirits," 1821, from shadow + land.
shadowy: late 14c., shadewy, "full of shadows," also "transitory, fleeting, unreal;" see shadow + -y- (2).
Shadrach: name of one of the three children delivered from the “fiery furnace” in Dan. iii.26.
shady: "affording shade, 1579, from shade (q.v.). Meaning "disreputable" (1862) probably is from earlier university slang sense of "of questionable merit, unreliable" (1848).
Shafi'i: member of one of the four principal schools of Sunni Muslims, 1704, from Arabic, from ash-Shafi'i, cognomen of founder Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Idris (767-819).
shaft (1): O.E. sceaft "long, slender rod of a staff or spear," from P.Gmc. *skaftaz (cf. O.N. skapt, O.S. skaft, O.H.G. scaft, Ger. schaft, Du. schacht, not found in Gothic), which some connect with a Gmc. passive pp. of PIE base *(s)kep- "to cut, to scrape" (cf. O.E. scafan "to shave") on notion of "tree branch stripped of its bark." But cf. L. scapus "shaft, stem, shank," which appears to be a cognate. Meaning "beam or ray" (of light, etc.) is attested from c.1300. Vulgar slang meaning "penis" first recorded 1719. Verb meaning "treat cruelly and unfairly" is 1950s, with overtones of sodomy.
shaft (2): "long, narrow passage sunk into the earth," early 15c., probably from shaft (1) on notion of "long and cylindrical," perhaps as a translation of cognate Low Ger. schacht in this sense (Grimm's suggestion, though OED is against it). Or it may represent a separate (unrecorded) development in O.E. directly from P.Gmc. *skaftaz in the original sense of "scrape, dig." The double sense of shaft is attested in country music song title, "She Got the Gold Mine, I Got the Shaft."
shag (n.): 1590s, "cloth having a velvet nap on one side," from O.E. sceacga "rough matted hair or wool," cognate with O.N. skegg "beard," from P.Gmc. *skagjan, perhaps related to O.H.G. scahho "promontory," with a connecting sense of "jutting out, projecting." Of tobacco, "cut in fine shreds," it is recorded from 1789; of carpets, rugs, etc., from 1946. Shagbark as a type of hickory is from 1751.
shag (v.): "copulate with," 1788, probably from obs. verb shag (late 14c.) "to shake, waggle," which probably is connected to shake (cf. shake, shake it in U.S. blues slang from 1920s, ostensibly with ref. to dancing).
And þe boot, amydde þe water, was shaggid. [Wyclif]
Also the name of a dance popular in U.S. 1930s and '40s. The baseball verb meaning "to catch" (fly balls) is attested from 1913, of uncertain origin or connection to other senses of the word.
shaggy: 1590s (earlier shagged, O.E.), from shag (n.) + -y (2). The shaggy-dog story as a type of joke is attested from 1945.
shah: title of the king of Persia, 1560s, shaw, from Pers. shah, shortened from O.Pers. xšayathiya "king," from Indo-Iranian *ksayati "he has power over, rules" from PIE *tke- "to gain control of, gain power over" (cf. Skt. ksatram "dominion;" Gk. krasthai "to acquire, get," kektesthai "to possess"). His wife is a shahbanu (from banu "lady"); his son is a shahzadah (from zadah "son").
shake (v.): O.E. sceacan "to vibrate, make vibrate, move away" (class VI strong verb; past tense scoc, pp. scacen), from P.Gmc. *skakanan (cf. O.N., Swed. skaka, Dan. skage "to shift, turn, veer"). No certain cognates outside Germanic, but some suggest a possible connection to Skt. khaj "to agitate, churn, stir about," O.C.S. skoku "a leap, bound," Welsh ysgogi "move," and ultimately to PIE *(s)keg-. To shake hands dates from 1530s. Shake a leg "hurry up" first recorded 1904; shake a heel (sometimes foot) was an old way to say "to dance" (1660s). Phrase more _____ than you can shake a stick at is attested from 1818, Amer.Eng. To shake (one's) head as a sign of disapproval is recorded from c.1300.
shake (n.): late 14c., from shake (v.). As a type of instantaneous action, it is recorded from 1816. Phrase fair shake "honest deal" is attested from 1830, Amer.Eng. The shakes "nervous agitation" is from 1620s. Shakeout "business upheaval" is from 1895; shake-up "reorganization" is from 1899. Dismissive phrase no great shakes (1816) perhaps is from dicing.
shakedown: 1730, "impromptu bed made upon loose straw," from shake + down. Fig. verbal sense of "blackmail, extort" is attested from 1872, noun meaning "a thorough search" is from 1914; both probably from the notion of measuring corn. The verbal phrase to shake down "cause to totter and fall" is recorded from c.1400.
shaken: of persons, "weakened and agitated by shocks," 1640s, from + shake (v.) + -en (2).
shaker: mid-15c., "one who or which shakes," from shake. Applied from 1640s (with capital initial) to various Christian sects whose devotional exercises often involved convulsions. The best-known, the American-based "Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing" so called from 1784; the adj. with reference to furniture styles associated with the Shakers is recorded from 1866. Meaning "container for mixing cocktails, etc." is recorded from 1868. Phrase movers and shakers is attested from 1874.
Shakespeare: surname recorded from 1248, and means "a spearman." This was a common type of English surname, e.g. Shakelance (1275), Shakeshaft (1332). Shake in the sense of "to brandish or flourish (a weapon)" is attested from late O.E.
Heo scæken on heore honden speren swiðe stronge. [Laymon, "Brut," c. 1205]
"Never a name in English nomenclature so simple or so certain in origin. It is exactly what it looks -- Shakespear" [Bardsley, "Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames," 1901]. Nevertheless, speculation flourishes.
shako: cylindrical soldier's hat with plume, 1815, from Hungarian csákó, short for csákós süveg "peaked cap," from adj. form of csáko "peak, projecting point of a cow's horn," which some European etymologists derive from Ger. zacken "point, spike," but which Hungarian sources regard as of unknown origin.
shaky: 1834 of structures; 1840, of handwriting; 1841 of persons and credit; from shake + -y (2). General sense of “uncertain” is from 1834. Earliest of trees or logs, “split, having fissures” (1808). Related: Shakily; shakiness.
shale: 1747, possibly a specialized use of M.E. schale "shell, husk, pod" (late 14c.), also "fish scale," from O.E. scealu (see shell) in its base sense of "thing that divides or separate," in reference to the way the rock breaks apart in layers. Geological use also possibly influenced by Ger. Schalstein "laminated limestone," and Schalgebirge "layer of stone in stratified rock."
shall: O.E. sceal "I owe/he owes, will have to, ought to, must" (infinitive sculan, pt. sceolde), a common Gmc. preterite-present verb, from P.Gmc. *skal-, *skul- (cf. O.S. sculan, O.N., Swed. skola, M.Du. sullen, O.H.G. solan, Ger. sollen, Goth. skulan "to owe, be under obligation;" related via past tense form to O.E. scyld "guilt," Ger. Schuld "guilt, debt;" also O.N. Skuld, name of one of the Norns). Ground sense probably is "I owe," hence "I ought." The sense shifted in M.E. from a notion of "obligation" to include "futurity." Its past tense form has become should (q.v.). Cognates outside Gmc. are Lith. skeleti "to be guilty," skilti "to get into debt;" O.Prus. skallisnan "duty," skellants "guilty."
shallop: "kind of light boat," 1578, from Fr. chaloupe, from Du. sloep "sloop" (see sloop). Cf. Sp. chalupa, It. scialuppa.
shallot: 1664, from Fr. échalote, from M.Fr. eschalotte, from O.Fr. eschaloigne, from V.L. *escalonia (see scallion).
shallow: c.1400, schalowe "not deep," probably from O.E. sceald (see shoal). Of breathing, attested from 1875; of thought or feeling, "superficial," first recorded c.1586. The noun, usually shallows, is first recorded 1571, from the adj.
shalom: Jewish word of greeting, 1881, from Heb., lit. "peace," prop. "completeness, soundness, welfare," from stem of shalam "was intact, was complete, was in good health."
sham (n.): 1677, "a trick, a hoax, a fraud," perhaps from sham, a northern dialectal variant of shame (q.v.). Sense of "Something meant to be mistaken for something else" is from 1728. The meaning in pillow-sham (1721) is from the notion of "counterfeit." The adj. is attested from 1681; the verb from 1677. Shamateur "amateur sportsman who acts like a professional" is from 1896.
shaman: 1698, "priest of the Ural-Altaic peoples," probably via Ger. Schamane, from Rus. shaman, from Tungus shaman, which is perhaps from Chinese sha men "Buddhist monk," from Prakrit samaya-, from Skt. sramana-s "Buddhist ascetic."
shamanism: 1780, from shaman + -ism.
shamble (v.): "to walk with a shuffling gait," 1680s, from an adj. meaning "ungainly, awkward" (c.1600), from shamble (n.) "table, bench" (see shambles) perhaps on the notion of the splayed legs of bench, or the way a worker sits astride it. Cf. Fr. bancal "bow-legged, wobbly" (of furniture), prop. "bench-legged," from banc "bench."
shambles: late 15c., "meat or fish market," from schamil "table, stall for vending" (c.1300), from O.E. scomul, sceamel "stool, footstool, table for vending," an early W.Gmc. borrowing (cf. O.S. skamel, M.Du. schamel, O.H.G. scamel, Ger. schemel) from L. scamillus "low stool," ultimately a dim. of scamnum "stool, bench," from PIE base *skabh- "to prop up, support." In English, sense evolved to "slaughterhouse" (1540s), "place of butchery" (1590s), and "confusion, mess" (1901).
shambolic: by 1970, apparently from shamble, perhaps on model of symbolic.
shame (n.): O.E. sceamu, sceomu "feeling of guilt or disgrace," from P.Gmc. *skamo (cf. O.S. skama, O.N. skömm, Swed. skam, O.Fris. scome, Du. schaamte, O.H.G. scama, Ger. Scham), probably from PIE *skem-, from *kem- "to cover" (covering oneself being a common expression of shame). An O.N. word for it was kinnroði, lit. "cheek-redness," hence, "blush of shame." Gk. distinguished shame in the bad sense of "disgrace, dishonor" (aiskhyne) from shame in the good sense of "modesty, bashfulness" (aidos). The verb is O.E. sceamian (cf. Ger. schämen sich).
shamefaced: 1555, "modest, bashful," folk etymology alteration of shamefast, from O.E. scamfæst "bashful," lit. "restrained by shame," or else "firm in modesty," from shame + -fæst, adjectival suffix (see fast (adj.)).
shameful: O.E. scemful “modest;” see shame + -ful. Meaning “disgraceful, causing shame” is from early 14c. Related: Shamefully; shamefulness.
shameless: O.E. sceamleas; see shame + -less. Related: Shamelessly; shamelessness.
shammy: 1651, phonetic spelling of chamois.
shampoo (v.): 1762, "to massage," from Anglo-Indian shampoo, from Hindi champo, imperative of champna "to press, knead the muscles," perhaps from Skt. capayati "pounds, kneads." Meaning "wash the hair" first recorded 1860; extended 1954 to carpets, upholstery, etc. The noun meaning "soap for shampooing" first recorded 1866.
shamrock: 1571, from Ir. seamrog, dim. of seamar "clover."
shamus: "police officer, detective," 1925, probably from Yiddish, lit. "sexton of a synagogue," from Heb. shamash "servant;" influenced by Celt. Seamus "James," as a typical name for an Irish cop.
shan't: by 1701, “colloquial” [OED] contraction of shall not.
shandy: "mix of beer and fizzy lemonade," 1888, shortening of shandygaff (1853), of unknown origin.
shanghai: 1854, Amer.Eng., "to drug a man unconscious and ship him as a sailor," from the practice of kidnapping to fill the crews of ships making extended voyages, such as to the Chinese seaport of Shanghai; lit. "by the sea," from Shang "on, above" + hai "sea."
Shangri La: "imaginary earthly paradise," 1938, from Shangri La, name of Tibetan utopia in James Hilton's novel "Lost Horizon" (1933). In Tibetan, la means "mountain pass."