Where does “shield” come from?

Shield comes from Middle English shelden, from Proto-Germanic skildijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-, a root meaning to split or divide.

shield (English): Anything that protects or defends; defense;...

Definitions

  1. Anything that protects or defends; defense;...

Ancestry of “shield”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishscheldA shield; An object that resembles a shield; Any...
2Old Englishsċieldshield
3Proto-West Germanicskeldushield
4Proto-Germanicskelduzshield
5Proto-Indo-European(s)keit-—

Words derived from “shield”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)keit- →