shag

shag · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Old Englishsċeacga
2. Middle English*schagge
3. English todayshag

From Middle English *schagge, from Old English sċeacga (“hair, wool”), from Proto-Germanic *skaggô, *skaggiją (“projection, bristly hair, stem”), *skag- (“to emerge, stick out, protrude”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek- (“to jump, move, hurry”). Akin to Old Norse skegg (“beard”) (compare Danish skæg, Norwegian skjegg, Swedish skägg). Related to shake and shock via the root.

shag · noun²

Unknown. Perhaps a derivative of Etymology 1, above, with reference to the shaggy crest of the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis).

shag · verb, noun³

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*skakkōn“to shake”
2. Middle English · inherited fromschaggen
3. English todayshag

From Middle English schaggen, a variant of Middle English schoggen (“to shake; shake off; tremble”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a byform of Middle English schokken (“to shake; move rapidly”), related to Middle Low German schokken (“to shake; tremble”). Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *skakkōn (“to shake”), specifically continuing a post-Proto-Germanic variant *skagg-, where the non-singular stem *skag- caused the analogical replacement of the stem-final voiceless geminate consonants with voiced geminates, which was then leveled throughout the paradigm.

shag · noun⁴

Blend of shower (“bridal shower”) + stag (“bachelor party”).

shag · noun⁵

Unknown.

shag · adjective⁶

From shagged or shagged out, originally British colloquialisms.

Words from the same roots