Where does “shy away” come from?

shy away (English) comes from English shy, from Middle English shy, from Old English sċēoh, from Proto-West Germanic skeuh, from Proto-Germanic skeuhaz, from Proto-Indo-European skewkós.

shy away (English): to draw back in fear, cringe, back down

Definitions

  1. to draw back in fear, cringe, back down

Ancestry of “shy away”, step by step

shy away traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English shy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshyEasily frightened; timid; Reserved; disinclined...
2Middle Englishshyshy
3Old Englishsċēohshy
4Proto-West Germanicskeuhfrightened, shy; frightening, ugly
5Proto-Germanicskeuhazfrightened; shy; timid; bashful; coy; reserved;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanskewkós—

via English away

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishawayFrom a place, hence; Aside; off; in another...
2Middle EnglishawayOut, away , off; Sideways, to a side
3Proto-Indo-Europeanaweg—

Words derived from “shy away”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European skewkós →Every word from Proto-Germanic skeuhaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic skeuh →
shy away — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer