shift

shift
{{11}}shift (n.1) c.1300, "a movement, a beginning," from SHIFT (Cf. shift) (v.). This is the sense in to make shift "make efforts" (mid-15c.). Meaning "period of working time" (originally in a mine) is attested from 1809, perhaps influenced by a N.Sea Gmc. cognate word (e.g. N.Fris. skeft "division, stratum," skaft "one of successive parties of workmen"). Similar double senses of "division" and "relay of workers" exist in Swed. skift, Ger. schicht. Meaning "mechanism for changing gear in a motor vehicle" is recorded from 1914. Typewriter shift-lock is from 1899.
{{12}}shift (n.2) "body garment, underclothing," 1590s, originally used of both men's and women's. In 17c., it began to be used as a euphemism for SMOCK (Cf. smock), and was itself displaced, for similar reasons of delicacy, in 19c. by CHEMISE (Cf. chemise).
{{12}}shift (v.) O.E. sciftan "arrange, divide," related to sceadan "divide, separate" (see SHED (Cf. shed) (v.)), from P.Gmc. *skiftanan (Cf. O.N. skipta "to divide, change, separate," O.Fris. skifta "to decide, determine, test," Du. schiften "to divide, turn," Ger. schichten "to classify," Schicht "shift"). Sense of "change" appeared mid-13c.; that of "move, transfer" is late 14c.; that of "manage to get along" is first attested 1510s, in phrase shift for oneself, and yielded SHIFTLESS (Cf. shiftless).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Shift — generally means to change (position). Shift may refer to: * Gear shift, to change gears in a car * Shift work, an employment practice * Shift (music), a change of level in music * Shift (magazine), a former Canadian technology and culture… …   Wikipedia

  • Shift — (sh[i^]ft), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Shifted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Shifting}.] [OE. shiften, schiften, to divide, change, remove. AS. sciftan to divide; akin to LG. & D. schiften to divide, distinguish, part Icel. skipta to divide, to part, to shift, to …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shift — shift; shift·abil·i·ty; shift·able; shift·er; shift·ful; shift·i·ly; shift·i·ness; shift·less; shift·man; make·shift; blue·shift·ed; make·shift·ness; shift·less·ly; shift·less·ness; …   English syllables

  • Shift — Shift, n. [Cf. Icel. skipti. See {Shift}, v. t.] 1. The act of shifting. Specifically: (a) The act of putting one thing in the place of another, or of changing the place of a thing; change; substitution. [1913 Webster] My going to Oxford was not… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shift — Расположение клавиши Shift Shift  клавиша на клавиатуре компьютера, предназначенная для ввода заглавных букв. При одновременном нажатии клавиши   …   Википедия

  • shift — ► VERB 1) move or change from one position to another. 2) Brit. informal move quickly. 3) (shift oneself) Brit. informal move or rouse oneself. 4) Brit. remove (a stain). 5) informal sell (goods) quickly or in large quantities. 6) …   English terms dictionary

  • shift — [shift] vt. [ME schiften < OE sciftan, to divide, separate < IE * skeib > SHIP] 1. to move or transfer from one person, place, or position to another [to shift the blame] 2. to replace by another or others; change or exchange 3. to… …   English World dictionary

  • Shift — steht für: die Umschalttaste beziehungsweise Hochstelltaste auf Tastaturen Schiften beim Segeln in der Fotografie als Shift Effekt, um Bilder perspektivisch zu entzerren, und Tilt und Shift Objektive, mit denen diese Aufgabe schon bei der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Shift TV — ist ein webbasierter Dienst, der Internetnutzern seit März 2005 die Möglichkeit bietet, auf einen netzwerkbasierten TV Rekorder, der in einem Rechenzentrum steht, Programme deutscher TV Sender aufzuzeichnen. shift TV wird von der 1997 gegründeten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Shift — Shift, v. i. 1. To divide; to distribute. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Some this, some that, as that him liketh shift. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. To make a change or changes; to change position; to move; to veer; to substitute one thing for another;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shift — [n1] switch, fluctuation about face*, alteration, bend, change, changeover, conversion, deflection, deviation, displacement, double, fault, modification, move, passage, permutation, rearrangement, removal, shifting, substitution, tack, transfer,… …   New thesaurus

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