Etymology

shelfware

S1H4E1L1F4W4A1R1E1

Today it means: A piece of software that has never been used at all since its creation. Full definition →

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

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kelH-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)kel(H)-p-
  3. Proto-Germanic*skelfō
  4. Proto-West Germanic*skelfu:
  5. Proto-West Germanic*skilfijā
  6. Old Englishsċylfe?
  7. Middle Englishschelfe
  8. Englishshelf
  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 todayshelfware

From shelf + -ware.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.