Where does “shy away from” come from?
shy away from (English) comes from English shy away, 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 from (English): to avoid, evade
Definitions
- to avoid, evade
Ancestry of “shy away from”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | shy away | to draw back in fear, cringe, back down |
| 2 | English | shy | Easily frightened; timid; Reserved; disinclined... |
| 3 | Middle English | shy | shy |
| 4 | Old English | sċēoh | shy |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skeuh | frightened, shy; frightening, ugly |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skeuhaz | frightened; shy; timid; bashful; coy; reserved;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | skewkós | — |