shift
/ʃɪft/
verb
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*skiftijan- — to divide, separate
Overview
Meaning Now
- To move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance.
- To change position, direction, or tendency.
- To transfer responsibility or blame to another.
Literal older meaning
to divide or cut off
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Modern English
Earliest form
sciftan
Earliest period
Old English (before 12th century)
Journey
The word evolved from a sense of division or 'shaving off' parts to the more general sense of moving things around, which emerged during the Middle English period. It is related to the word 'sheath' as both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning to split or cut.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*skiftijan-
“to divide”
- Old English
sciftan
“to divide, distribute, or arrange”
- Middle English
schiften
“to change, remove, or relocate”
- Modern English
shift
“to move position or exchange”
Connections
Word parts
shift
root
move or change
Related across languages
Old Norse
skipta
to divide, share
German
schichten
to layer or arrange
Dutch
schiften
to sort or separate
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.