English
share
Share comes from Middle English schare ‘a portion or share’, from Proto-Germanic *skarō ‘a division, detachment’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)koréh₂.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)koréh₂1reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skarō1‘a division’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skaru1reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sċearu1‘a cutting’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schare1‘a portion or share’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1675share1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English share
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1675, John Milton, Political: “While Avarice and Rapine ſhare the Land.”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)koréh₂Wiktionary, English sharereconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skarōWiktionary, English share‘a division’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*skaruWiktionary, English sharereconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sċearuWiktionary, English share‘a cutting’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schareWiktionary, English share‘a portion or share’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1675shareWiktionary, English share. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: a. 1675, John Milton, Political: “While Avarice and Rapine ſhare the Land.”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *(s)koréh₂
Another origin of share
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-‘to cut’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*skaraz‘ploughshare’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sċear‘ploughshare’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500schar‘plowshare’
- Englishtodayshare
Today it means
noun A portion of something, especially a portion given or allotted to someone.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “share”. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *(s)koréh₂ / share