English
shin
Shin comes from Middle English schyne ‘the shin’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *skinō ‘shinbone’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skinō‘shinbone’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skinu‘shin, spine’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150scinu
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schyne‘the shin’
- Englishearliest quotation 1845shin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skinō‘shinbone’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skinu‘shin, spine’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150scinu
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schyne‘the shin’
- Englishearliest quotation 1845shin
Earliest quotation: 1845, New York Commercial Advertiser:: “The Senator was shinning around, to get gold for…”
The story
Not related to skin.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *skey- ‘to cut, split’
nice, science, equipment, scientific, skip, conscious, kyle, ship, ski, shift, shed, squire, sheath, skeet, scuttle, prescient, skiff, scullery, shud, 44 more
through Proto-Germanic *skinō ‘shinbone’
through Proto-West Germanic *skinu ‘shin, spine’
Today it means
noun The front part of the leg below the knee; the front edge of the shin bone: Shinbone on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *skinō / shin