sceawian

From Proto-West Germanic *skauwōn, from Proto-Germanic *skawwōną. Cognate with Old Frisian skawia, Old Saxon skawon, Old Dutch skouwon (Dutch schouwen), Old High German scouwōn (German schauen).

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃæ͜ɑː.wi.ɑn/

sċēawian

1. to watch or look at
   • c. 992, Ælfric, "Midlent Sunday"

     On ōðre wīsan wē sċēawiaþ mētinge and on ōðre wīsan stafas. Ne gǣþ nā māre tō mētinge būtan þæt þū hit ġesēo and herie. Nis nā ġenōg þæt þū stafas sċēawiġe būtan þū hīe ēac rǣde and þæt andġiet understande.

     We look at pictures in one way and letters in another. You don't do anything with a painting except see it and praise it. Looking at letters is not enough unless you also read them and understand the meaning.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "On the Nativity of our Lord"

     We mihton eow secgan ane lytle bysne, gif hit to wáclic nære; Scēawa nú on anum æge, hú þæt hwite ne bið gemenged to ðam geolcan, and bið hwæðere án æg. Nis eac Cristes godcundnys gerunnen to ðære menniscnysse, ac he þurhwunað þeah á on ecnysse on anum hade untotwæmed.

     We might tell unto you a little simile, if it were not too mean; Look now on an egg, how the white is not mingled with the yolk, and yet it is one egg. Nor also is Christ's divinity confounded with human nature, but he continueth to all eternity in one person undivided.

2. to examine, scrutinize
3. to show (+accusative)
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     ...Gyf ðū ēnigne gōdne heorde hæbbe þe wel cunne healdan þæt þæt þū gestrēone and him befæste, scēawa hyne me;

     ...If thou have any good steward that can well hold that which thou gettest and committest unto him, show him to me;...

• besċēawian
• foresċēawian
• ġeondsċēawian
• ġesċēawian
• ofersċēawian
• sċēawere
• sċēawiend
• sċēawung
• ymbsċēawian

• Middle English: schawen, schewen, schowen, sheuen
  • Scots: schaw, schew, schow, shaw
  • English: shew, show