Scitan

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Old English verb meaning to discharge or throw a projectile such as an arrow ; to move forward quickly and suddenly like something darting ahead
2. Archaic English verb for launching a missile through the air ; a verb describing swift, sudden movement as if one were speeding off in a rush
3. A historical verb meaning to fire or cast a weapon forward ; to hasten or dash along with sudden speed

Etymology: Scitan is an Old English verb meaning "to shoot," especially to shoot an arrow, and it is the ancestor of the modern English "shoot." Its root sense was "to hurl, dart, or propel forward," and the same Germanic root gave Old Norse "skjóta," which means "to shoot" or "to push." The original idea was of something rushing forward quickly, not specifically of a bow. The word's history makes it a good example of how English verbs can change their vowels and forms over centuries. Old English "scitan" had a past tense "sceat" and a past participle "scoten," and these forms were gradually replaced as the verb settled into "shoot, shot, shot" by the later medieval period. Many familiar English verbs followed similar paths of vowel change, though the exact reasons for each shift are not always clear.