Where does “shame” come from?
Shame comes from Middle English schamen, from Old English sċamian, from Proto-Germanic skamāną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European skoh₃méh₂.
shame (English): Uncomfortable or painful feeling due to...
Definitions
- Uncomfortable or painful feeling due to...
Ancestry of “shame”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | schamen | To be ashamed; to feel shame or regret |
| 2 | Old English | sċamian | to be ashamed or embarrassed (+genitive of cause) (often impersonal with dative or accusative subject) |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | skamēn | to be ashamed |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skamāną | to be ashamed |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -āną | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives, later... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -ajaną | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |