Etymograph

English

shable

Shable may come from Italian sciabola ‘sabre/saber’.

  1. Italianc. 1300–presentsciabola1as sciabla‘sabre/saber’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1680shable1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English shable
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1680, Robert Harford, English Military Discipline: “The Shable is more in use amongst the Horse,…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Italianc. 1300–presentsciabolaWiktionary, English shableas sciabla‘sabre/saber’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1680shableWiktionary, English shable. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1680, Robert Harford, English Military Discipline: “The Shable is more in use amongst the Horse,…”

The story

Borrrowed from either Italian sciabla, Hungarian szablya or Polish szabla.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Polish szabla ‘sabre’

sabre

Today it means

noun A sabre or curved sword.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “shable”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Italian sciabola / shable

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