Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Shipman” come from?

Shipman derives from Middle English shipman, from Old English scypman, composed of scip (ship) and man (man), referring to a man who works on or operates a ship.

Ancestry of “Shipman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishschipman—
2Middle EnglishmanTypically singular, indefinite pronoun: one, you;...
3Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
4Sanskritमहादेव—
5Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
6Sanskritमहायान—
7Sanskritयानcarriage, vehicle, mode of transport; moving,...
8Proto-Indo-AryanyáHnam—
9Proto-Indo-IranianyáHnam—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyéh₂-nom—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyeh₂-to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European yeh₂- →