Where does “skillfull” come from?
skillfull (English) comes from English full, from Middle English fúl, from Old English full, from Proto-West Germanic full, from Proto-Germanic fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.
Ancestry of “skillfull”, step by step
skillfull traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English full
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | full | Containing the maximum possible amount that can... |
| 2 | Middle English | fúl | very; much; to a great extent |
| 3 | Old English | full | full, filled, complete, entire; a beaker; a cup,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | full | full |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fullaz | full; the whole, the entire |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |
via English skill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | skill | Capacity to do something well; technique,... |
| 2 | Middle English | skill | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | skil | a distinction, discernment, knowledge |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skilją | separation, limit |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |