The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Appendix I
Indo-European Roots
ENTRY:
sker-1
DEFINITION:
Also ker-. To cut. Derivatives include shears, scabbard, skirmish, carnage, sharp, scrape, and screw. I. Basic form *sker-,*ker-.1a.shear, from Old English scieran,sceran, to cut; b.sheer1, from Low German scheren, to move to and fro, and Dutch scheren, to withdraw, depart. Both a and b from Germanic *skeran.2a.share2, from Old English scar, plowshare; b.share1, from Old English scearu,scaru, portion, division (but recorded only in the sense of fork of the body, tonsure). Both a and b from Germanic *skeraz.3a.shear, from Old English scar, scissors, from Germanic *skr- and *sker-ez-;b. compound *skr-berg-, sword protector, scabbard (*berg-, protector; see bhergh-1). scabbard, from Old French escauberc, scabbard, possibly from a Germanic source akin to Old High German scarberc, scabbard. Both a and b from Germanic *skr-.4.score, from Old Norse skor, notch, tally, twenty, from Germanic *skur-.5.scar2, skerry, from Old Norse sker, low reef (< something cut off), from Germanic suffixed form *skar-jam.6. Suffixed o-grade extended form *skorp-o-.scarf2, from Old Norse skarfr, diagonally-cut end of a board, from Germanic *skarfaz.7. Suffixed o-grade extended form *skord-o-.shard, from Old English sceard, a cut, notch, from Germanic *skardaz.8. Extended form *skerd- in suffixed zero-grade form *skd-o-.a.short, from Old English scort,sceort, cut, short; b.shirt, from Old English scyrte, skirt (< cut piece); c.skirt, from Old Norse skyrta, shirt. ac all from Germanic *skurtaz. 9a. scaramouch, scrimmage, skirmish, from Old French eskermir, to fight with a sword, fence, and Old Italian scaramuccia, skirmish, from a source akin to Old High German skirmen, to protect; b.screen, from Middle Dutch scherm, shield. Both a and b from Germanic extended form *skerm-.10. Variant form *kar-.carnage, carnal, carnassial, carnation, carnival, carrion, caruncle, charnel, crone; carnivorous, charcuterie, incarnate, from Latin car (stem carn-), flesh. 11. Suffixed o-grade form *kor-yo-.coriaceous, corium, cuirass, currier; excoriate, from Latin corium, leather (originally piece of hide). 12. Suffixed zero-grade form *k-to-.curt, curtal, kirtle, from Latin curtus, short. 13. Suffixed o-grade form *kor-mo-.corm, from Greek kormos, a trimmed tree trunk. 14. Suffixed o-grade form *kor-i-.coreopsis, from Greek koris, bedbug (< cutter). 15. Suffixed zero-grade form *sk--.shore1, from Old English scora, shore, from Germanic *skur-. II. Extended roots *skert-,*kert-.1. Zero-grade form *kt- or o-grade form *kort-.cortex; decorticate, from Latin cortex, bark (< that which can be cut off). 2. Suffixed form *kert-sn-.cenacle, from Latin cna, meal (< portion of food). III. Extended root *skerp-.scurf, probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old English sceorf, scab, scurf, from Germanic *skerf-. IV. Extended root *skerb(h)-,*skreb(h)-.1a.sharp, from Old English scearp, sharp; b.scarp, from Italian scarpa, embankment, possibly from a Germanic source akin to Gothic skarp, pointed object. Both a and b from Germanic *skarpaz, cutting, sharp. 2a.scrap1, from Old Norse skrap, pieces, remains; b.scrape, from Old Norse skrapa, to scratch. Both a and b from Germanic *skrap-.3a.scrabble, from Middle Dutch schrabben, to scrape; b.scrub1, from Middle Dutch schrobben, to scrape. Both a and b from Germanic *skrab-.4.shrub1, from Old English scrybb, shrub (< rough plant), from Germanic *skrub-.5.scrobiculate, from Latin scrobis, trench, ditch. 6.screw, scrofula, from Latin scrfa, a sow (< rooter, digger). V. Extended root *(s)kers-.bias, from Greek epikarsios, at an angle (epi-, at; see epi), from suffixed zero-grade form *ks-yo-. (Pokorny 4. (s)ker-, Section I. 938.)