shun v.

1580s, skowndrell, "base, mean, worthless fellow," a word of unknown origin. Century Dictionary, citing Skeat, makes it perhaps ultimately from the source of shun. Another suggestion is Anglo-French escoundre (Old French escondre) "to hide, hide oneself," from Vulgar Latin *excondere, from Latin condere "to hide, put away, store," from assimilated form of com- "together" (see com-) + -dere "put" (from PIE root *dhe- "to put, place"). The main objection is the hundreds of years between the two words. OED thinks the sense has strengthened since 18c., to "audacious rascal, one destitute of all moral scruple." Related: Scoundrelly.

mid-13c., shunten, "to shy, start aside or back, move suddenly," perhaps from shunen, shonen "to shun" (see shun), and altered by influence of shot or shut. The transitive meaning "to turn aside" is from late 14c.; that of "move out of the way" is from 1706. Adopted by railways by 1842, "move cars or a train from a main line to a sidetrack." Related: Shunted; shunting.