English word origin

Etymology of Shu

Borrowed from Egyptian šw (“Shu”, literally “Emptiness”), a derivative of the verb šwj (“to be empty, devoid of”).

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A god personifying the air and atmosphere.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Egyptian šw (“Shu”, literally “Emptiness”), a derivative of the verb šwj (“to be empty, devoid of”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionšwegy

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "egy",
        "3": "šw",
        "4": "",
        "5": "Shu",
        "lit": "Emptiness"
      },
      "expansion": "Egyptian šw (“Shu”, literally “Emptiness”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "šw",
      "šw#Egyptian"
    ],
    [
      "šwj",
      "šwj#Egyptian"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A surname. · A surname from Chinese. · A surname from Mandarin.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From atonal romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of various Chinese surnames, including those variously romanized as Xu or Hsu whose separate sound /ɕ/ is conflated with /ʃ/ by English speakers.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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        "2": "zh",
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      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Xu",
      "Xu#English"
    ],
    [
      "Hsu",
      "Hsu#English"
    ],
    [
      "ɕ",
      "ɕ"
    ],
    [
      "ʃ",
      "ʃ"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

name

A partially sinicized civilization in ancient Sichuan, China; existing during the time period of Shang Dynasty and Zhou Dynasty in the neighbouring Empire of China (Huaxia). · The former territory of the Shu, Shu civilization, Shu culture, in what is now Sichuan, China · A former kingdom the primary state of the Shu civilization, Shu culture, in what is now Sichuan, China · A Chinese kingdom in Sichuan during the Three Kingdoms period.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Mandarin 蜀 (Shǔ).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention蜀cmn

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "Kingdom of +"
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      "expansion": ""
    },
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      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ Han"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
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      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "Former +,Later +"
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    },
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

name

A river in Shandong, China.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 沭 (Shù).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention沭zh

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "沭",
        "tr": "Shù"
      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "沭",
      "沭#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗

name

Synonym of Chu, a river in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Kazakh Шү (šü).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionШүkk

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    [
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      "Шү#Kazakh"
    ]
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Shu →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-U2h1