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
- Anything that protects or defends; defense;...
Ancestry of “shield”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scheld | A shield; An object that resembles a shield; Any... |
| 2 | Old English | sċield | shield |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | skeldu | shield |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skelduz | shield |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)keit- | — |
Words derived from “shield”