skink

skink · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)keng-“to limp; to be crooked, slant”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*skinkô
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*skinkō“shank; thigh; that which is bent”
4. Old Saxon · derived fromskinka
5. Middle Low German · derived fromschink
6. English todayskink

Possibly from Middle Low German schink, schinke, schenke (“leg; shank; shin bone; ham”), from Old Saxon skinka, from Proto-West Germanic *skinkō (“shank; thigh; that which is bent”), from Proto-Germanic *skinkô, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)keng- (“to limp; to be crooked, slant”). The word is cognate with Danish skinke (“ham”), Middle Dutch schenke, schinke (“shin; hough; ham”), Icelandic skinka (“ham”), Norwegian skinke (“ham”), Old English ġesċincio, ġesċinco (“kidney fat”), Old High German skinka, skinko (“shank; shin bone”) (Middle High German schinke (“shank; shin bone; ham”), modern German Schinken (“ham; pork from the hindquarters”)), Old Saxon skinka (“ham”), Old Swedish skinke (modern Swedish skinka (“ham”)).

skink · noun²

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromσκίγγος
2. Latin · derived fromscincus
3. Middle French · derived fromscinc
4. English todayskink

From Middle French scinc, from Latin scincus, from Ancient Greek σκίγγος (skíngos), σκίγκος (skínkos).

skink · verb, noun³

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*skankijaną
2. Old Norse · derived fromskenkja
3. Middle Dutch · derived fromscinken
4. Middle English · inherited fromskinken
5. English todayskink

From Middle English skinken, skynken, skenken, from Middle Dutch scinken, scenken, schenken and/or Old Norse skenkja, both from Proto-Germanic *skankijaną. Cognate with German schenken (“to give as a present”), Dutch schenken (“to pour, give as a present”). See also the inherited doublet shink.

Words from the same roots