The Romance of Words. SHREWD

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 121, 15 February 1935, Page 9

The Romance of Words. SHREWD

When we say of a man that “he is ■ shrewd” we mean that he is. astute, discerning, sharp, keen in business or • other dealings; that without being unfair he yet' studies his own ends first. The word, however, did not always have such a lenient meaning. It comes from the word “shrew,” which ineant to beshrew, to curse, and meant originally wicked, unfair,, swindling, malicious. It also meant accursed, cursed, vile. Shakespeare used the word in the sense of, vixenish, scolding, shrewish. From tEat it came to mean vexatious, troublesome, mischievous, ill, or hurtful: "No enemy so despicable but he may do a body a, shrewd turn.” The word was also used by Shakes? peare to mean spiteful, dangerous. He came nearest to our present,day meaning when he used it in the sense of sly, cunning, artful, arch: “That shrewd and knavish sprite.”