sceo

Old English

Alternative forms

• sċīo

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *skiwō, from Proto-Germanic *skiwô, *skiwją (“cloud, cloud cover, haze”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover”).

Cognate with Old Saxon scio, skio, skeo (“light cloud cover”), Old Norse ský (“cloud”), Old Irish ceó (“sky”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃe͜oː/

Noun

sċēo m

1. cloud

Usage notes

• The exact gender of sċēo is uncertain, as it is attested only once without reference to gender. The proto-Germanic forms are reconstructed for *skiwô (masculine n-stem) and *skiwją (neuter a-stem; derived from the masculine). Based on the form of the Old English word, and the closely related Old Saxon scio (a masculine n-stem), Old English scēo is believed to derive from *skiwô and assumed masculine.

Declension

Declension of sceo (weak)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	sċēo	sċēon
accusative	sċēon	sċēon
genitive	sċēon	sċēona
dative	sċēon	sċēom, sċēoum

Descendants

• Middle English: scheu, schew