Etymology

shareware

S1H4A1R1E1W4A1R1E1

Today it means: A type of software that is distributed without payment but is limited in any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Full definition →

English softwarebf. ← Middle English ware ← Old English waru
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)koréh₂
  2. Proto-Germanic*skarō
  3. Proto-West Germanic*skaru
  4. Old Englishsċearu
  5. Middle Englishschare
  6. Englishshare
  7. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  8. Proto-Germanic*samþuz /*samftuz
  9. Proto-West Germanic*samft(ī)
  10. Old Englishsōfte
  11. Middle Englishsofte
  12. Englishsoft
  13. Proto-Germanic*warō
  14. Proto-West Germanic*waru
  15. Old Englishwaru
  16. Middle Englishware
  17. Englishsoftwarebf.
  18. English todayshareware

From share + -ware. Popularized by Bob Wallace

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.