Where does “monkeyshine” come from?

monkeyshine (English) comes from English shine, from Middle English shinen, from Old English sċīnan, from Proto-West Germanic skīnan, from Proto-Germanic skīnaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱeh₁y- — to shine, shimmer.

monkeyshine (English): A puerile trick or prank

Definitions

  1. A puerile trick or prank

Ancestry of “monkeyshine”, step by step

monkeyshine traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English shine

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshineTo emit light; To reflect light; To distinguish...
2Middle EnglishshinenAlternative form of schinen
3Old Englishsċīnanto shine
4Proto-West Germanicskīnanto shine; to appear
5Proto-Germanicskīnanąto shine; to appear
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ḱeh₁y-to shine, shimmer

via English monkey

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmonkeyAny member of the clade Simiiformes not also of...
2GermanMoneke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱeh₁y-Every word from Proto-Germanic skīnanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic skīnan