Where does “skill” come from?
skill (Middle English) comes from Old Norse skil, from Proto-Germanic skilją, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Ancestry of “skill”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | skil | a distinction, discernment, knowledge |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | skilją | separation, limit |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |
Words derived from “skill”