Where does “should” come from?
Should descends from Middle English scholde, from Old English scolde, the past tense of Old English sculan, from Proto-Germanic skulaną, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European roots (s)kel- meaning to cut or separate.
should (English): Be obliged to; have an obligation to; ought to;...
Definitions
- Be obliged to; have an obligation to; ought to;...
Ancestry of “should”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scholde | should |
| 2 | Old English | scolde | Alternative form of sceolde |
| 3 | Old English | sculan | should; must; to be supposed to do something |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skulan | to owe, to be obliged |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skulaną | to owe; to be obliged to, have to; shall, will,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱel- | to be obligated, owe |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₁- | to warm up, to be hot; to warm up, be hot |