Aloof

Aloof originally had a different meaning than its modern-day use to describe someone emotionally distant. In maritime language, Aloof comes from the Middle English phrase “a luff,” where “luff” refers to the act of steering a ship’s bow into the wind (closer to the wind). The term describes keeping a boat at a distance or steering it away from something dangerous, like shoals or reefs, by staying upwind.

Thus, in its original nautical sense, “aloof” meant “to stay clear of something” or “to steer away from hazards.”

Over time, this idea of maintaining distance evolved into the more figurative meaning of being emotionally distant or detached.