Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “askew” come from?

Askew comes from Old Norse á ská, meaning "on skew" or "awry."

askew (English): Turned or twisted to one side; Untoward,...

Definitions

  1. Turned or twisted to one side; Untoward,...

Ancestry of “askew”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishā-—
2Old Englishġe-—
3Proto-West Germanicga-used as an intensifier for verbs, indicating...
4Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
7Middle Englishkyt—
8Germankitt—
9Old High Germankuti—
10Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
11Proto-Germanickweduzresin
12Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
13Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “askew”

  • skewwhiff
  • askewness
  • skew-whiff
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →