Where does “shabby” come from?
Shabby derives from Middle English shabby, formed with the suffix -y from Middle French -ie, tracing back through Latin -ia and -ivus to Proto-Indo-European -kos.
shabby (English): Torn or worn; unkempt; Clothed with ragged, much...
Definitions
- Torn or worn; unkempt; Clothed with ragged, much...
Ancestry of “shabby”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | shab | Scabies; A scab; To scratch; to rub |
| 2 | Middle English | shabbe | — |
| 3 | Old English | sċeabb | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *skabb | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skabbaz | scab; scabies, mange |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | skÀbʰ- | — |
Words derived from “shabby”