(s)keu-

To cover, conceal. Zero-grade form *(s)ku-. Variant *(s)keuə-, zero-grade form *(s)kuə-, contracted to *(s)kū-.

Derivatives include sky, meerschaum, scum, obscure, recoil, and hoard.

1. Suffixed basic form.

a. sky, from Old Norse skȳ, cloud;

b. skewbald, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse skȳ, cloud. Both a and b from Germanic *skeu-jam, cloud (“cloud cover”).

2. Zero-grade form *skū-.

a. Suffixed form *skū-mo-.

(i) skim, from Old French escume, scum;

(ii) meerschaum, from Old High German scūm, scum;

(iii) scum, from Middle Dutch schūm, scum. (i)-(iii) all from Germanic *skūmaz, foam, scum (< “that which covers the water”);

b. suffixed form *skū-ro-. obscure; chiaroscuro, from Latin obscūrus, “covered,” dark (ob-, away from; see epi).

3. Zero-grade form *kū̆-.

a. Suffixed form *kū-ti-. hide², from Old English hȳd, skin, hide, from Germanic *hūdiz;

b. suffixed form *ku-ti-. cutaneous, cuticle, cutis; cutin, from Latin cutis skin;

c. possibly suffixed form *kū-lo-. culet, culotte; bascule, recoil, from Latin cūlus, the rump, backside;

d. suffixed form *ku-to-. -cyte, cyto-, from Greek kutos, a hollow, vessel.

4. Extended zero-grade form *kus-.

a.

(i) hose, hosel, from Old English hosa, hose, covering for the leg;

(ii) lederhosen, from Old High German hosa, leg covering. Both (i) and (ii) from Germanic *husōn-;

b. suffixed form *kuz-dho- (or suffixed extended form *kudh-to-).

(i) hoard, from Old English hord, stock, store, treasure (< “thing hidden away”), from Germanic *huzdam;

(ii) compound *kuzdho-zd-, “sitting (over) a treasure” (*-zd-, sitting; see sed-). custody, from Latin custōs, guard;

c. kishke, from Russian kishka, gut (< “sheath”).

5. Suffixed extended zero-grade form *kut-no-. cunnilingus, from Latin cunnus, vulva (< “sheath”).

6. Extended root *keudh-.

a. hide¹, from Old English hȳdan, to hide, cover up, from Germanic suffixed lengthened zero-grade form *hūd-jan;

b. hut, from French hutte, hut, from Germanic suffixed zero-grade form *hūd-jōn-;

c. huddle, from Low German hudeln, to crowd together, probably from Germanic *hū̆d-.

7. shieling, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse skāli, hut, from Germanic suffixed o-grade form *skaw-ala-.

 

[Pokorny 2. (s)keu- 951.]

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