中英語のsheldeから、古英語のscield, shield, defense, plateから、原語ゲルマン語*skelduz, to separateから、PIE*skel, to separateから、語源的にはscale, shellと同じ。元々は単純な木の板で、盾の語源。
英語の語源
shield
shield: [OE] Shield goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *skelduz, which also produced German and Dutch schild, Swedish sk?ld, and Danish skjoldr. This was probably derived from the Germanic base *skel- ‘divide, split, separate’ (source also of English scale, shell, etc), and hence denoted etymologically a ‘flat piece of wood produced by splitting a log, board’. Shelter is probably descended from a compound formed from shield. => scale, shell, shelter
shield (n.)
Old English scield, scild "shield; protector, defense," literally "board," from Proto-Germanic *skelduz (cognates: Old Norse skj?ldr, Old Saxon skild, Middle Dutch scilt, Dutch schild, German Schild, Gothic skildus), from *skel- "divide, split, separate," from PIE root *(s)kel- (1) "to cut" (see scale (n.1)). Perhaps the notion is of a flat piece of wood made by splitting a log. Shield volcano (1911) translates German Schildvulkan (1910). Plate tectonics sense is from 1906, translating Suess (1888).
shield (v.)
Old English gescildan, from the root of shield (n.). Related: Shielded; shielding. Compare German scilden.
例文
1. He used his left hand as a shield against the reflecting sunlight.
反射した太陽の光を左手で遮った。
2.The gunman used the hostages as a human shield .
銃を持った悪党は人質を人体の盾にした。
3.The knight carried a shield with a cross painted thereupon.
騎士は十字が描かれた盾を持っている。
4.She intended to shield the child from the bad information.
彼女はこの子にこの悪いニュースを知られないようにしようとした。
5.Dark glasses are an effective shield against the glare.