Ship comes from the Old English scip which has the same Germanic predecessor.

Skiff etymology. Hide Quotations Hide Etymology Cite this entry SKIFF n. Skiff Noun Any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person. The water had subsided and left the trough or skift in which the infants had been exposed on dry ground.

Chamberss Twentieth Century Dictionary. Originally the small boat of a. Skiff small sea-going ship XVI.

Middle English skif from Middle French or Old Italian. History and Etymology for skift. From French esquif from Old Italian schifo a boat of Germanic origin.

Originally the small boat of a ship. N skiff Formerly a small sailing vessel resembling a sloop. Any of various small boats propelled by oars sail or motor.

The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology. Ship comes from the Old English scip which has the same Germanic predecessor. To move in a light airy manner barely touching the ground to skim glide skip Sc.

Middle French esquif from Old Italian schifo of Germanic origin. Skiff n small boat 1570s from French esquif 1540s from Italian schifo little boat from a Germanic source such as Old High German scif boat see ship n. Akin to Old English scip ship.