shew

The word 'shew' is a historical orthographic variant of the modern verb 'show'. It traces back to the Old English 'scēawian', meaning 'to look, see, or inspect', which itself derives from the Proto-Germanic 'skauwōną'. This Germanic root is connected to the idea of perception and sight. The 'shew' spelling, prevalent from the Middle English period until the 18th century, reflects the influence of Anglo-Norman and Old French orthographic conventions on English scribes. While largely supplanted by 'show' in modern usage, 'shew' persists in some biblical, legal, and dialectal contexts, preserving a fossilized form of the word's phonetic and graphic history.

This is a simplex word. It is a variant spelling of 'show', originating from the Old English verb 'scēawian' (to look at, see, inspect). The 'shew' spelling became common in the 14th century, influenced by Anglo-Norman and Old French forms like 'schewer'.