skein

skein · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*skend-“to split off”
2. Old French · derived fromescaigne
3. Middle English · inherited fromskaine
4. English todayskein

The noun is derived from Middle English skaine, skayne (“quantity of string, thread, etc., wound on a reel; the string, thread, etc., so wound”), from Old French escaigne (modern French écagne, écaigne (Picardy)); further etymology uncertain, probably from Proto-Celtic, from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to split off”). The verb is derived from noun. cognates * Irish scáinne (“skein, clew”)

skein · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*skey-“to dissect; to split”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*skinō“piece; plate; rim; (anatomy) shinbone”
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*skinu“bar; track; (anatomy) shin; spine”
4. Old Dutch · derived from*skina
5. Middle Dutch · derived fromschene
6. Dutch · derived fromscheen“strip of metal or wood; (anatomy) shin”
7. English todayskein

From Dutch scheen (“strip of metal or wood; (anatomy) shin”), from Middle Dutch schene, from Old Dutch *skina, from Proto-West Germanic *skinu (“bar; track; (anatomy) shin; spine”), from Proto-Germanic *skinō (“piece; plate; rim; (anatomy) shinbone”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to dissect; to split”). Doublet of shin.

Words from the same roots