English
shrine
Shrine comes from Old English scrīn ‘reliquary, ark of the covenant’, and perhaps goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-1‘to turn, bend’uncertain
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500scrīnium1‘reliquary’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150scrīn1‘reliquary, ark of the covenant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500shryne1
- Englishearliest quotation 1667shrine1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English shrine
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1667, John Milton, Book VI: “Shrined in his sanctuary.”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-Wiktionary, English shrine‘to turn, bend’uncertain
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500scrīniumWiktionary, English shrine‘reliquary’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150scrīnWiktionary, English shrine‘reliquary, ark of the covenant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500shryneWiktionary, English shrine
- Englishearliest quotation 1667shrineWiktionary, English shrine. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1667, John Milton, Book VI: “Shrined in his sanctuary.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’
across, short, card, cross, share, cancer, screen, score, circle, circuit, shirt, crucial, curve, scare, circus, circulation, skirt, carnival, curb, scar, cancellation, crest, circa, scrutiny, corona, scorpion, carnage, incarceration, raffle, circulate, corolla, shear, scorn, crux, carnal, carcinoma, cirque, circulatory, crepe, carnivorous, 118 more
Today it means
noun A holy or sacred place dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, or similar figure of awe and respect, at which said figure is venerated or worshipped.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “shrine”. 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)ker- / shrine