skey- (Proto-Indo-European)

Where does "skey-" come from?

The root 'skey-' is a Proto-Indo-European term meaning 'to split' or 'to dissect'[1]. It is theorized to have emerged from a reanalysis of the root '*sek-', which means 'to cut', combined with the suffix '*-éy-'[1]. This development illustrates how complex verbal roots were often formed in Proto-Indo-European through the addition of suffixes to simpler foundations[1].

Open questions

• The derivation from a reanalysis of an existing root is speculative and may not reflect the original formation. [1]

Full etymology tree

• *skey- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to split, to dissect'
  • derived *sek- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cut, cut off, sever'
  • affix *-éy- (Proto-Indo-European)

Ancestors

• *-éyti (Proto-Indo-European)

Sources

1. skey- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris