Where does “sheath” come from?
Sheath comes from Middle English shethen, from Old English scēaþian, a verb meaning to put into a case or covering.
sheath (English): A holster for a sword; a scabbard; Anything that...
Definitions
- A holster for a sword; a scabbard; Anything that...
Ancestry of “sheath”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sheathe | To put into a sheath; To encase with a... |
| 2 | Middle English | shethen | to put into a sheath, sheathe; to provide with a... |
| 3 | Middle English | sheth | — |
| 4 | Old English | sċēaþ | sheath |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skaiþiju | sheath |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skaiþiz | sheath, covering |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |