Etymologically
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ski

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /skiː/, /ʃiː/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Norwegian ski,[2][3][4] from Old Norse skíð (“snowshoe; stick of wood”),[3][2][5] cognate with Old English scīd, stick of wood, the source of obsolete English shide, and German Scheit (“log”),[3][2][6] from Proto-Germanic *skid-, to divide, split,[3][2] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *skei- (“to cut, split”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

One of a pair of long, slender boards fastened to the feet for gliding over snow: 1755, an isolated instance;[2][7][3] in regular use from 1883, often spelled skee.[3]

Semantic evolution

The English pronunciation /skiː/ follows the spelling; in Norwegian ski is pronounced with sh-.[2] An 1885 report from Beloit College in Wisconsin described skeeing as a new sport.[3] The verb, to travel on skis, is from 1885 in Etymonline and 1893 in the OED;[3][7][2] to water-ski is first recorded in American English in 1947.[2][7] Runners on the landing gear of an aircraft are from 1912.[7] Ski-jumper is attested from 1894 and ski bum by 1960.[3]

Timeline

  • 1755 – isolated instance.[7]
  • 1883 – in regular use.[3]
  • 1885 – the verb.[3]
  • 1912 – an aircraft runner.[7]
  • 1947 – to water-ski.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. One of a pair of long, flat runners attached to boots for gliding over snow.
  2. A water ski.
  3. A runner on a vehicle, such as an aircraft.

Verb

  1. To travel or glide on skis, especially as a sport.

Word family

  • skiable
  • skier
  • miniski
  • skimobile
  • skiplane
  • skiwear
  • skurfing
  • skiing

Usage notes

In Scots, a verb ski, to slide, is recorded in Berwickshire by the EDD.[8]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)