skill
/sˈkɪl/SKIL
/sˈkɪl/SKIL
Meaningdiscernment
Common meaning: expert ability
- skilldiscernmentSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 558 · scan
Journey through time
- Aryan root · reconstructed√SKAR or SKAL‘shear, cut, cleave, scratch, dig’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 406, p. 744 · scan
- Old Norse (Icelandic)skil‘a distinction, discernment’source
- Middle Englishskilsource
- Englishmeaning shiftsa distinction, discernment → expert abilityskill‘expert ability’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Old Norse (Icelandic) skil ‘discernment’.
Roots
- skil Old Norse (Icelandic) “discernment”
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app