Etymologically
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skier

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 1 November 2026 at 04:27. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /ˈskiːə(ɹ)/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English ski + -er: Etymonline and the Shorter Oxford derive it from the verb,[2][3][4] the OED from the noun.[5] Merriam-Webster explains the less common spelling “skiier” from “skii-” as in skiing.[6] The noun ski is from Norwegian ski, related to Old Norse skíð (“long snowshoe; stick of wood”).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A person who travels on skis: 1895, in the Chicago Advance.[5][2][4]

Semantic evolution

The word followed soon after the verb ski, which Etymonline dates to 1885[2] and the OED to 1893.[5] Etymonline notes that skister was also tried, in 1898.[2] From 1941 skier was also used for a water-skier.[5]

Timeline

  • 1895 – a person who skis.[5][2]
  • 1898 – skister tried as an alternative.[2]
  • 1941 – a water-skier.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who skis, or travels on skis: The skiers waited for the lift.[6][3][5]
  2. A water-skier.[5]

Word family

  • water-skier

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster