Where does “skillful” come from?
Skillful derives from Middle English skilful, a word of uncertain ultimate origin whose earliest sense remains unknown.
skillful (English): Possessing skill; skilled
Definitions
- Possessing skill; skilled
Ancestry of “skillful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 2 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 3 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 4 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 5 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |