Definition of the word sift

The English word "sift" comes from the Old English word "sceaftan," which means "to separate" or "to sort out." This word consists of two parts: "sc" which is a prefix meaning "separate," and "eftan" which means "to bring forth" or "to extract." The Middle English form of the word was "schiften," which evolved into "shiften" in Early Modern English. The modern spelling of "sift" emerged during the 17th century. The origin of "sift" is related to the use of strainers or sieves to separate particles of different sizes, such as flour from impurities or gold from dirt. The verb "sift" is still widely used in cooking and baking to describe the process of removing unwanted elements from a mixture by passing it through a sieve or sifter. Over time, the meaning of the word has expanded to include other forms of sorting or separating, such as sifting through information or memories.