shaping
/ˈʃeɪpɪŋ/
noun/participle
Origin
Old English
scieppan — to form, create, or fashion
Overview
Meaning Now
- The act or process of giving a specific form or structure to something.
- The physical influence or molding of a situation, character, or outcome.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
sceppan
Earliest period
12th century
Journey
The root 'shape' derives from the Germanic sense of 'creating' or 'ordaining', which is also preserved in words like 'landscape' (land-scape). The sense of 'forming' grew out of the act of creation.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*skapjan
“to create, to ordain”
- Old English
scieppan
“to create, form, shape”
- Middle English
shapen
“to form or construct”
- Modern English
shaping
“the act of giving form”
Connections
Word parts
shape
root
form or structure
-ing
suffix
action or process
Related across languages
German
schaffen
to create, to work
Dutch
scheppen
to create, to scoop
Related words
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Related to shaping
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.