Etymology Map
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Screen

3 stages from Frankish to English.

Today it means a flat panel for display or protection

Where does the word "screen" come from? It comes from Frankish skirm, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skirm
Frankish · ancient
"shield"
a Frankish word related to 'skirmish'
2
Stage 2 of 3
escren
Old French · medieval
"fire screen"
a panel to shield from heat
3
Stage 3 of 3
screen
English · 1400s
"partition"
film screens date from the 1810s; TV screens from the 1930s
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Read the full story

Screen’s story begins in Frankish: skirm meant “shield.” A Frankish word related to 'skirmish'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as escren. A panel to shield from heat. It reached English by 1400s as screen. Film screens date from the 1810s; TV screens from the 1930s. Today, screen means a flat panel for display or protection.