Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “schaft” come from?

schaft (Middle English) comes from Old English sċeaft, from Old English sċieppan, from Proto-West Germanic skappjan, from Proto-Germanic skapjaną, from Proto-Indo-European skab- — to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...

schaft (Middle English): A weapon's shaft; the body of a polearm; A spear...

Definitions

  1. A weapon's shaft; the body of a polearm; A spear...

Ancestry of “schaft”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsċeaftshaft; creation
2Old Englishsċieppanto form; shape
3Proto-West Germanicskappjanto make, to create
4Proto-Germanicskapjanąto make, to create; to shape
5Proto-Indo-Europeanskab-to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...

Words derived from “schaft”

  • shaft
  • crankshaft
  • camshaft
  • countershaft
  • midshaft
  • driveshaft
  • mineshaft
  • airshaft
  • foreshaft
  • turboshaft
  • layshaft
  • shaftless
  • jackshaft
  • spearshaft
  • aftershaft
  • windshaft
  • shaftlike
  • propshaft
  • shaftway
  • shaftwork
  • liftshaft
  • cockshaft
  • sunshaft
  • hairshaft
Every word from Proto-Indo-European skab- →