Where does “shy” come from?
shy (Middle English) comes from Old English sċēoh, from Proto-West Germanic skeuh, from Proto-Germanic skeuhaz, from Proto-Indo-European skewkós.
shy (Middle English): shy
Ancestry of “shy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | sċēoh | shy |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | skeuh | frightened, shy; frightening, ugly |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skeuhaz | frightened; shy; timid; bashful; coy; reserved;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | skewkós | — |