*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ski

From Norwegian ski, from Old Norse skíð (“stick of wood, snowshoe”), from Proto-Germanic *skīdą (“stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split”) (see also shed). Cognate with Old English sċīd (“stick of wood”

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
noun

One of a pair of long flat runners designed for gliding over snow or water. · One of a pair of long flat runners under some flying machines, used for landing. · A trip made by skiing.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Norwegian ski, from Old Norse skíð (“stick of wood, snowshoe”), from Proto-Germanic *skīdą (“stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split”) (see also shed). Cognate with Old English sċīd (“stick of wood”) (modern shide), Old High German skit (Modern German Scheit (“log”)).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*skey-ine-pro
  • Derivation mentionskíðnon · stick of wood, snowshoe
  • Derivation mention*skīdągem-pro · stick
  • Derivation mention*skey-ine-pro · to cut, split
  • Cognate mentionsċīdang · stick of wood
  • Cognate mentionskitgoh
  • Cognate mentionScheitde · log
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*skey-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "no",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "skíð",
        "t": "stick of wood, snowshoe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse skíð (“stick of wood, snowshoe”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*skīdą",
        "t": "stick"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *skīdą (“stick”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*skey-",
        "t": "to cut, split"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sċīd",
        "t": "stick of wood"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sċīd (“stick of wood”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "shide",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "shide"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "skit"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German skit"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Scheit",
        "t": "log"
      },
      "expansion": "German Scheit (“log”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ski",
      "ski#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "skíð",
      "skíð#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*skīdą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/skīdą"
    ],
    [
      "*skey-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/skey-"
    ],
    [
      "shed",
      "shed#English"
    ],
    [
      "sċīd",
      "scid#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "shide",
      "shide#English"
    ],
    [
      "skit",
      "skit#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Scheit",
      "Scheit#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "スキー",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "sukī"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "word": "스키",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "seuki"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Okinawan",
      "lang_code": "ryu",
      "word": "スキー",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Thai",
      "lang_code": "th",
      "word": "สกี",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "sà-gii"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "One of a pair of long flat runners designed for gliding over snow or water.",
        "One of a pair of long flat runners under some flying machines, used for landing.",
        "A trip made by skiing."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "4d5c89ed13c6aa16b1f19e85d8f2c622b01e9ab6be1f1b721136cbcdb8b21661",
      "rawRecordSha256": "d794108bdb86b09efdeda6216d1f4112f13513db3565a09196a23714d7b07e7c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 177806
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To move on skis. · To travel over (a slope, etc.) on skis; to travel on skis at (a place), (especially as a sport).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Norwegian ski, from Old Norse skíð (“stick of wood, snowshoe”), from Proto-Germanic *skīdą (“stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split”) (see also shed). Cognate with Old English sċīd (“stick of wood”) (modern shide), Old High German skit (Modern German Scheit (“log”)).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*skey-ine-pro
  • Derivation mentionskíðnon · stick of wood, snowshoe
  • Derivation mention*skīdągem-pro · stick
  • Derivation mention*skey-ine-pro · to cut, split
  • Cognate mentionsċīdang · stick of wood
  • Cognate mentionskitgoh
  • Cognate mentionScheitde · log
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*skey-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "no",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "skíð",
        "t": "stick of wood, snowshoe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse skíð (“stick of wood, snowshoe”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*skīdą",
        "t": "stick"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *skīdą (“stick”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*skey-",
        "t": "to cut, split"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sċīd",
        "t": "stick of wood"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sċīd (“stick of wood”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "shide",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "shide"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "skit"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German skit"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Scheit",
        "t": "log"
      },
      "expansion": "German Scheit (“log”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ski",
      "ski#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "skíð",
      "skíð#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*skīdą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/skīdą"
    ],
    [
      "*skey-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/skey-"
    ],
    [
      "shed",
      "shed#English"
    ],
    [
      "sċīd",
      "scid#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "shide",
      "shide#English"
    ],
    [
      "skit",
      "skit#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Scheit",
      "Scheit#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To move on skis.",
        "To travel over (a slope, etc.) on skis; to travel on skis at (a place), (especially as a sport)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "7d3b83ee8ab808db3c154773d7a2ef5501aaf3760fda1ef25ed3fff097760cfd",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0847ebdbda7f4779379faeae9af0204bfe1a3174d3cd8c44796d6db388639936",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 177807
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ski →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c2tp