Where does “shaft” come from?

Shaft comes from Middle English schaft, from Old English ġesċeaft, from Proto-Germanic skaftaz, from Proto-Indo-European skeh₂p-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)kep-.

shaft (English): The entire body of a long weapon, such as an...

Definitions

The entire body of a long weapon, such as an...

Ancestry of “shaft”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old English	sċeaft	shaft; creation
2	Old English	sċieppan	to form; shape
3	Proto-West Germanic	skappjan	to make, to create
4	Proto-Germanic	skapjaną	to make, to create; to shape
5	Proto-Indo-European	skab-	to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...

Words derived from “shaft”

crankshaft
camshaft
countershaft
midshaft
driveshaft
mineshaft
airshaft
foreshaft
turboshaft
layshaft
shaftless
jackshaft
aftershaft
windshaft
shaftlike
propshaft
shaftway
shaftwork
liftshaft
cockshaft
sunshaft
hairshaft
shaftman
hail shaft

Every word from Proto-Indo-European skab- →

shaft — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer