Where does “shoeblack” come from?
shoeblack (English) comes from English shoe, from German Schuh, from Middle High German schuo, from Old High German scuoh, from Proto-West Germanic skōh, from Proto-Germanic skōhaz, from Proto-Indo-European skewk-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kew- — to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,...
shoeblack (English): One who cleans and polishes shoes as an...
Definitions
- One who cleans and polishes shoes as an...
Ancestry of “shoeblack”, step by step
shoeblack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English shoe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shoe | A protective covering for the foot, with a bottom... |
| 2 | German | Schuh | shoe |
| 3 | Middle High German | schuo | — |
| 4 | Old High German | scuoh | shoe |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skōh | shoe |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skōhaz | shoe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | skewk- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kew- | to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,... |
via English Black
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Black | Alternative letter-case form of black |
| 2 | Old French | blanc | white |
| 3 | Late Latin | blancus | white |
| 4 | Frankish | blank | bright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *blank | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | blankaz | bright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bhleg- | to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch |