Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-ship” come from?

-ship (English) comes from Middle English -schipe, from Old English -sċiepe, from Proto-West Germanic -skapi, from Proto-Germanic -skapiz, from Proto-Germanic skapjaną, from Proto-Indo-European skab- — to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...

-ship (English): Appended to a noun to form a new noun denoting a...

Definitions

  1. Appended to a noun to form a new noun denoting a...

Ancestry of “-ship”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-schipeAffixed to nouns and adjectives to form nouns...
2Old English-sċiepe—
3Proto-West Germanic-skapiForms nouns denoting state, originally meaning...
4Proto-Germanic-skapizForms nouns denoting state, originally meaning...
5Proto-Germanicskapjanąto make, to create; to shape
6Proto-Indo-Europeanskab-to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...

Words derived from “-ship”

  • relationship
  • leadership
  • ownership
  • membership
  • partnership
  • citizenship
  • scholarship
  • lordship
  • kinship
  • companionship
  • censorship
  • authorship
  • dictatorship
  • entrepreneurship
  • ladyship
  • apprenticeship
  • championship
  • courtship
  • sponsorship
  • readership
  • guardianship
  • kingship
  • internship
  • partisanship
Every word from Proto-Indo-European skab- →