*(s)kel-
Meanings
Word Family
This is one of various roots that all in some way carry the core sense of cutting.
Notable English members of this family are:
- scalping, scalpel (from a Latin verb for cutting)
- shelf (cut from wood)
- shield (cut from wood)
- scale (originally referred to the bowl of a scale, direct relative of German die Schale)
- skill (originally the ability to tell apart, to separate)
- half (cut in half)