Where does “shin” come from?
Shin comes from Middle English shine, Old English sċīnan and scinu, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European skey- and sek-, ultimately from a root meaning to cut or separate.
shin (English): The front part of the leg below the knee; the...
Definitions
- The front part of the leg below the knee; the...
Ancestry of “shin”, step by step
shin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Scottish Gaelic sìn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish Gaelic | sìn | stretch |
| 2 | Middle Irish | sin | that |
| 3 | Old Irish | sín | weather |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | sindos | this |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sḗm | one |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
via Middle English schyne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | schyne | Alternative form of schinen; A instance of... |
| 2 | Middle English | schinen | To emit brightness and lightness; to shine; To... |
| 3 | Old English | sċīnan | to shine |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skīnan | to shine; to appear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skīnaną | to shine; to appear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₁y- | to shine, shimmer |