Where does “skiff” come from?
Skiff comes from Middle English skif, from Middle French esquif, from Old Italian schifo, from Lombardic skif, from Proto-Germanic skipą, from Proto-Indo-European skēyb-.
skiff (English): A small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed...
Definitions
- A small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed...
Ancestry of “skiff”, step by step
skiff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English skif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | skif | — |
| 2 | Middle French | esquif | — |
| 3 | Old Italian | schifo | small boat |
| 4 | Lombardic | skif | boat |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skipą | ship; hollow object |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱēy- | to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skaidą | separation, distinction |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | skÁit- | to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,... |
via Scots skiff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scots | skiff | light shower of rain or snow; move lightly |