- shift (v.)
- Old English sciftan "arrange, divide," related to sceadan "divide, separate" (see shed (v.)), from Proto-Germanic *skiftanan (cf. 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"). Sense of "change" appeared mid-13c.; that of "move, transfer" is late 14c.; that of "manage to get along" is first attested 1510s, in phrase shift for oneself, and yielded shiftless.
- shift (n.1)
- c.1300, "a movement, a beginning," from shift (v.). This is the sense in to make shift "make efforts" (mid-15c.). Meaning "period of working time" (originally in a mine) is attested from 1809, perhaps influenced by a North Sea Germanic cognate word (e.g. North Frisian skeft "division, stratum," skaft "one of successive parties of workmen"). Similar double senses of "division" and "relay of workers" exist in Swedish skift, German schicht. Meaning "mechanism for changing gear in a motor vehicle" is recorded from 1914. Typewriter shift-lock is from 1899.
- shift (n.2)
- "body garment, underclothing," 1590s, originally used of both men's and women's. In 17c., it began to be used as a euphemism for smock, and was itself displaced, for similar reasons of delicacy, in 19c. by chemise.