Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/skipą

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Uncertain etymology.

One theory derives it from Proto-Indo-European *skēi-b-, *ski-b-, which would be an extension of *skey- (“to cut”). Compare Lithuanian skiẽbti (“to rip up”), Latvian škibît (“to cut, lop”).^[1] A relation to Proto-Germanic *skapjaną (“to create, shape”) has been considered related as well, but the phonetics pose difficulties. The original meaning inherited from Proto-Indo-European was likely “hollowed tree”, and all daughter languages agree in the meaning “ship”, thus the specified meaning “ship” is assumed for Proto-Germanic; however the Old High German word also had the meaning “hollow object” and described various vessels and containers, so the Proto-Germanic word could also have been used in a more generic fashion. Moreover, one meaning does not have to exclude the other by rule. Compare the development of Old Norse skeið (“sheath; spoon; ship”), also from an extension of *skey-; cf. also unrelated Latin vās (“hollow object”), source of French vaisseau (“vessel”).

Kroonen instead claims that this word would rather be a loanword from Latin scyphus (“drinking vessel”).^[2]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈski.pɑ̃/

Noun

*skipą n

ship
Synonyms: *baitaz, *keulaz
(possibly) any hollow or concave manmade object
(West Germanic) vessel, tub

Inflection

neuter a-stemDeclension of *skipą (neuter a-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*skipą	*skipō
vocative	*skipą	*skipō
accusative	*skipą	*skipō
genitive	skipas, skipis	*skipǫ̂
dative	*skipai	*skipamaz
instrumental	*skipō	*skipamiz

Related terms

*skībǭ (“slice”) (possibly)

Derived terms

Descendants

Proto-West Germanic: *skip
- Old English: sċip, sċyp
  - Middle English: schip, schup
    - Scots: ship, schip
    - English: ship
      - → Esperanto: ŝipo
- Old Frisian: skip
  - North Frisian: schap (Mooring), Skep (Sylt)
  - Saterland Frisian: Skip, Schip
  - West Frisian: skip
- Old Saxon: skip
  - Middle Low German: schip, schep
    - Low German: Schipp
      - German Low German: Schipp, Schip
      - Plautdietsch: Schepp
- Old Dutch: *skip, scip
  - Middle Dutch: schip, schep
    - Dutch: schip
      - Afrikaans: skip
    - Limburgish: sjeep
- Old High German: skif, skef
  - Middle High German: schif, schef
    - Bavarian: Schiff, Scheff
    - Central Franconian: Scheff, Schoff, Schöff (parts of Eifel, southwestern Ripuarian)
      - Hunsrik: Schiff
      - Luxembourgish: Schëff
    - German: Schiff
    - Yiddish: שיף (shif)
  - → Old Italian: schifo
    - Italian: schifo
    - ⇒ English: skeevy
    - ⇒ English: skeeve
    - → Middle French: esquif
      - French: esquif
      - → Middle English: skif
        English: skiff
        → Russian: скиф (skif)
Old Norse: skip
- Icelandic: skip
- Faroese: skip
- Norwegian Nynorsk: skip
- Old Swedish: skip
  - Swedish: skepp
- Old Danish: skip
  - Danish: skib
    - Norwegian Bokmål: skip
  - Scanian: śevv
- → Irish: scib
- → Scottish Gaelic: sgioba
Gothic: 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐍀 (skip)

References

^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*skipan”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 340-1
^ Guus Kroonen (2013) “*skipa-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 446

[1] Vladimir Orel (2003) “*skipan”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 340-1

[2] Guus Kroonen (2013) “*skipa-”, in Alexander Lubotsky, editor, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 446

[1]

[2]