Shaft
/ʃæft/noun
A long, narrow part of something, especially a rod, beam, or tunnel.
Did you know?In Old English, a shaft was literally a spear or arrow, so the word’s core image is not industrial at all — it’s weaponry, straightness, and force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skaftaz
“pole, staff, spear-shaft”
Old English
OE
sceaft
“shaft of a spear, spear, pole, rod”
Old Norse
ON
skaft
“handle, shaft, pole”
Middle English
ME
shaft
“spear, arrow shaft, long rod”
Modern English
English
shaft
“a long, narrow part of an object; a pole, rod, or tunnel”