schitten

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

    Inherited from Old English sċyttan, from Proto-West Germanic *skuttjan, from *skut (“a border, a divider”) +‎ *-jan.

    Forms showing the development /y/ to /ɛ/ are more widely dispersed and less prone to being displaced by those showing a development to /i/ during the Middle English period, undoubtedly to avoid an embarrassing homophony with schite (“shit”); this also accounts for forms influenced by scheten (continued in schute). West Midland and Southern forms with /u/ (hence modern shut) represent a retraction of /y/ after /ʃ/.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈʃitən/
    • IPA(key): /ˈʃɛtən/ (especially East Anglia, East Saxon, Kent, Southeast Midland)
    • IPA(key): /ˈʃutən/ (West Midland, Southern), /ʃut/ (Yorkshire)
    • IPA(key): /ˈʃeːtən/, /ˈʃoːtən/ (influenced by scheten)

    Verb

    schitten (third-person singular simple present schitteth, present participle schittende, schittynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle schitted)

    1. (transitive) To shut or close (to cause to be closed):
      1. To bring something into a closed position.
      2. To block or seal an opening.
      3. To lock; to securely close (an object or location)
      4. (figuratively) To seal a purse or letter.
    2. (transitive) To enclose or surround:
      1. To confine or isolate (for security)
      2. To incarcerate; to forcibly confine.
      3. To protect or secure (from a danger)
    3. (transitive) To exclude or bar; to keep out.
    4. (intransitive) To shut or close (to become closed)
    5. (transitive, rare) To end or terminate.

    Conjugation

    Conjugation of schitten (weak in -te)
    infinitive (to) schitten, schitte
    present tense past tense
    1st-person singular schitte schitte
    2nd-person singular schittest schittest
    3rd-person singular schitteth schitte
    subjunctive singular schitte
    imperative singular —
    plural1 schitten, schitte schitten, schitte
    imperative plural schitteth, schitte —
    participles schittynge, schittende schit, yschit

    1 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

    Descendants

    • English: shut (dialectal shet)
    • Middle Scots: schet, schute

    References

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