Etymology
Shield volcanoes are built by effusive eruptions, which flow out in all directions to create a shield like that of a warrior. The word "shield" has a long history, and is derived from the Old English scield or scild, which is in turn taken from the Proto-Germanic skeldus, and related to the Gothic skildus, meaning "to divide, split, or separate". Shield volcano itself is taken from the German term schildvulkan.
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