Shake
/ʃeɪk/noun
To move quickly back and forth or up and down, or to tremble.
Did you know?English shake is old Germanic blood: it’s related to words for shaking, rocking, and even the idea of a sudden violent jolt, showing how motion became language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skeg-
“to shake, swing, or move quickly”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skakanan
“to shake, tremble, or move back and forth”
Old English
English
sceacan
“to shake, brandish, move rapidly”
Middle English
English
shaken
“to shake, agitate, or tremble”
Modern English
English
shake
“to move with quick, short motions or to tremble”