From Middle English schal (infinitive schulen), from Old English sċeal (infinitive sċulan), from Proto-West Germanic *skulan, from Proto-Germanic *skal (infinitive *skulaną), from Proto-Indo-European *skel- ("to owe, be under obligation").
Cognate with Scots sall, sal, West Frisian sil (infinitive sille), Dutch zal (infinitive zullen), Low German schall (infinitive schölen), German soll (infinitive sollen), Danish skal (infinitive skulle), Icelandic skal (infinitive skulu), Afrikaans sal. Related to shild.
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