Where does “skymen” come from?

skymen (Middle English) comes from Middle English scumen, from Old French escumer, from Frankish skūm, from Proto-Germanic skūmaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- — to cover, bedeck; cover.

Ancestry of “skymen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishscumen—
2Old Frenchescumerto dribble
3Frankishskūmfoam; froth, foam
4Proto-Germanicskūmazfilm; grime; scum; foam; froth; yeast
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kewH-to cover, bedeck; cover
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic skūmaz →Every word from Frankish skūm →