sciell

Old English

Alternative forms

• sċiel, sċyll, sċyl, sċill, sċil, sċell, sċel

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *skallju, from Proto-Germanic *skaljō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃi͜yll/, [ʃi͜yɫ]

Noun

sċiell f

1. shell
2. scale (keratin pieces covering the skin of certain animals)
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Leviticus 11:9

     Ne etaþ ġē nānne fisċ būtan þā þe habbaþ finnas and sċiella.

     Don't eat any fish except those that have fins and scales.

   • c. 897, King Alfred's translation of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care

     Ǣlċes fisċes sċiell biþ tō ōðerre ġefēġedu, þæt þǣr ne mæġ nān ǣðm ūt betwēox.

     Every scale on a fish is attached to another, so no air can get out between them.

Declension

Declension of sciell (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	sċiell	sċiella, sċielle
accusative	sċielle	sċiella, sċielle
genitive	sċielle	sċiella
dative	sċielle	sċiellum

Synonyms

• (shell): sċealu

Derived terms

• ǣġsċiell (“eggshell”)
• hnutsċiell (“nutshell”)
• sǣsċiell (“seashell”)
• sċielfisċ (“shellfish”)
• sċielliht (“scaly”)

Descendants

• Middle English: schelle
  • English: shell
  • Scots: schel, schell