'shameful' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'sceamful,' where 'sceamu' meant 'shame' and '-ful' was a suffix meaning 'full of.'

'sceamful' transformed into the Middle English word 'shameful,' and eventually became the modern English word 'shameful.'

Initially, it meant 'full of shame,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.