Etymograph

English

show

Show comes from Old English scēawian ‘to look at; to exhibit, display’, from Proto-Germanic *skawwōną ‘to look, see’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- ‘to heed, look’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kewh₁-‘to heed, look, take note of’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skawwōną‘to look, see’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skauwōn‘to look, see’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150scēawian‘to look at; to exhibit, display’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schewen
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599show

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kewh₁-‘to heed, look, take note of’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skawwōną‘to look, see’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skauwōn‘to look, see’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150scēawian‘to look at; to exhibit, display’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schewen
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599show

Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “My lord of York, it better showed with you.”

The story

Wider cognates include Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos), Latin caveō whence English caution and caveat, Sanskrit कवि (kaví, “seer, prophet, bard”), Proto-Slavic *čuti (whence Russian чу́ять (čújatʹ) and many more).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- ‘to heed, look, feel, take note of’

cave, kudos, precaution, sheen, scone, 14 more

Another origin of show

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schewe
  2. Englishtodayshow

Today it means

verb To display, convey or exhibit; to have something available for others to see; to direct attention to something.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- / show

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