*skipą

Reconstruction

The word is *skipą in Wiktionary,^[1] *skipa- in Kroonen, Köbler and EWA,^[2][3][4] and *skipan in Orel.^[5]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain: Wiktionary mentions a theory that derives it from *skēi-b-, *ski-b-, which would make it from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut”) through an extended root,^[1] and Köbler gives a root *skeib- "to cut".^[3] Kroonen, on the other hand, takes it as an early loan from Latin scyphus (“drinking cup”).^[2]

Morphology

A neuter a-stem.^[2][3][4]

Evidence

The word is attested in all three branches: Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐍀 (skip) in Gothic, Old Norse skip in Old Norse, and Old English scip, Old Frisian skip, Old Saxon skip and Old High German scif in West Germanic.^[2] The Gothic word occurs at Matthew 8:23.^[6] Old High German has it from the third quarter of the 8th century.^[4] The Old Norse word was borrowed into Manx, the source of Old Irish scib (“boat”).^[4][7]

Competing analyses

Kroonen's derivation from Latin scyphus, itself from Ancient Greek σκύφος (skúphos, “cup”), is an old proposal, which EWA calls certainly wrong, because of the meaning and the route through Gothic that it would require, and finds a substrate origin unnecessary.^[4] Lehmann takes only Old High German scif (“vessel, container”) as a loan from the Latin word.^[6] EWA weighs three possible reconstructions of a root found in Lithuanian skiẽbti (“to rip, to split, to fell”) and Latvian šķibît (“to hew, to cut”); two of them require a geminate *pp, which the Old High German spellings do not prove, and the name would refer to the way the boat was built.^[4] Uhlenbeck understood the word as "hollowed log", Trier as "skin-covered framework" like the curragh of Ireland;^[6] de Vries followed Trier.^[7] Orel thinks the original sense was "structure, framework", as the verb *skipōjanan "to arrange" shows.^[5] The older comparison with Ancient Greek σκάφος (skáphos, “hull of a ship”)^[5] and the root *skap-, *skab- "to hollow out" is ruled out by the vowel i.^[8][7]

Meanings

1. ship^[2][3][1]
2. log canoe^[3]
3. vessel, tub; any hollow man-made object^[1][3]

Old High German also used the word for "raft, boat, vessel".^[4] Wiktionary notes that all the daughters agree in the meaning "ship".^[1]

Derivatives

• *skipōną "to arrange; to ship, to embark",^[9] Orel's *skipōjanan.^[10]
• *skipārijaz "sailor".^[11]
• Compounds: *skipamann- "sailor" and *skipafardiz "voyage, naval expedition";^[12][13] in Orel also *skipa-steurōn "steersman", *kaupa-skipan "merchant ship" and *xari-skipan "warship".^[14][15][16]

Reflexes

• Gothic: 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐍀 (skip, “ship”)^[8]
• Old Norse: skip (“ship”)^[7]
• Old English: scip (“ship”)^[17]
• Old Frisian: skip (“ship”)^[18]
• Old Saxon: skip (“ship”)^[19]
• Old High German: skif (“ship, raft, boat, vessel”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skipą
2. ^ a b c d e Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 446
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *skipa-
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. skif
5. ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *skipan
6. ^ a b c Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the third edition of Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache by Sigmund Feist, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. skip
7. ^ a b c d de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. skip
8. ^ a b Feist, Sigmund (1939), Vergleichendes Wörterbuch der gotischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. skip
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skipōną
10. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *skipōjanan
11. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skipārijaz
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skipamann-
13. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *skipafardiz
14. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *skipa-steurōn
15. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *kaupa-skipan
16. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *xari-skipan
17. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. scip
18. ^ Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. skip
19. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. skip