shame English · revision 4621

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725|origins=gem-pro *skamō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ʃeɪm/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|shame]], scheome,^(Barnhart 1988) [[inh|ang|sċamu|alt=sċeamu|t=feeling of guilt or disgrace; dishonour; modesty]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[gem-pro|*skamō]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) also the source of Old Saxon skama, Old Norse skǫmm, Dutch schaamte and German Scham,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998) a word of unknown etymology.^(Etymonline) Barnhart finds no root of corresponding form and sense outside Germanic;^(Barnhart 1988) Etymonline's best guess is [[ine-pro|*skem-]], from *kem- “to cover”, covering oneself being a common expression of shame.^(Etymonline) The same base formed Old English sċand and German Schande “disgrace”.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The painful emotion arising from consciousness of something dishonourable: about 725 in the OED.^(OED 1989) The verb, to feel shame: also about 725 in Barnhart, in Beowulf, and about 897 in the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Disgrace or loss of reputation is from before 990,^(OED 1989) and a piece of disgrace from about 1230.^(OED 1989) ''Put to shame'' is from the mid-13th century,^(Etymonline) and the interjection ''for shame!'' by about 1300.^(Etymonline) Modesty, regard for decency, is from about 1300,^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) while a thing or person that one should be ashamed of dates from the 1580s.^(Etymonline) In Middle English shame could also mean the private parts.^(Etymonline) The transitive verb, to make ashamed, is from late Old English,^(Etymonline) and “to cover with reproach” by the 1520s.^(Etymonline) ''Shamefaced'' is an alteration of shamefast, “modest”, by association with face.^(Hoad 1986) Greek distinguished shame as disgrace, aiskhynē, from shame as modesty, aidōs.^(Etymonline) ''Shame culture'' is attested by 1947.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – the emotion of shame; verb.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * a. 990 – disgrace.^(OED 1989)

+ * mid-13th century – ''put to shame''.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1300 – modesty, and ''for shame!''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1520s – verb, to make ashamed.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1580s – a person to be ashamed of.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1947 – ''shame culture''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A painful feeling of guilt, embarrassment or [[disgrace]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The capacity to feel this: ''have you no shame?''^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Disgrace or [[dishonour]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A person or thing that brings disgrace.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A regrettable or unfortunate thing: ''what a shame!''^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make someone feel ashamed.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To bring disgrace on.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To outdo by being better: ''her effort shamed us all''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To force by making ashamed: ''shamed into apologizing''.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[shamable]]

+ * [[shamably]]

+ * [[shamefaced]]

+ * [[shamefast]]

+ * [[shameful]]

+ * [[shameless]]

+ * [[ashamed]]

+ * [[unshamed]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}