Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “shoe” come from?

Shoe comes from Middle English shoo, from Old English hēo, from Proto-Germanic skōhaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe-, skek-, continuing the ancient root for this type of footwear.

shoe (English): A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom...

Definitions

  1. A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom...

Ancestry of “shoe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanSchuhshoe
2Middle High Germanschuo—
3Old High Germanscuohshoe
4Proto-West Germanicskōhshoe
5Proto-Germanicskōhazshoe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanskewk-—
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kew-to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,...

Words derived from “shoe”

  • shoes
  • shoestring
  • shoebox
  • shoemaking
  • snowshoe
  • shoeshine
  • snowshoeing
  • Snowshoe
  • shoehorn
  • shoeblack
  • gumshoe
  • overshoe
  • Muleshoe
  • shoeprint
  • shoewear
  • shoegazing
  • shoebill
  • snowshoer
  • shoestore
  • shoeshiner
  • sandshoe
  • shoepeg
  • turnshoe
  • shoelacing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kew- →