skiff

skiff · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*skipą“boat, ship”
2. Lombardic · derived fromskif“boat”
3. Old Italian · derived fromschifo“small boat”
4. Middle French · derived fromesquif
5. Middle English · inherited fromskif
6. English todayskiff

From Middle English skif, from Middle French esquif, from Old Italian schifo (“small boat”), from Lombardic skif (“boat”), from Proto-Germanic *skipą (“boat, ship”). Doublet of ship.

skiff · noun, verb²

1. Scots · derived fromskiff“light shower of rain or snow”
2. English todayskiff

From Scots skiff (“light shower of rain or snow”), from skiff (“move lightly”); compare the derivative skiffle (whence English skiffle) and (English skift (“light dusting of snow”) from) Scots skift (“light shower of snow”), from skift (“move lightly”), perhaps related to shift/Old Norse skipta, or perhaps an onomatopoeic formation.

Words from the same roots