Skill

Skill comes from a Scand. root meaninj to separate, discern, and means discernment, under- standing. The verb to skill, i.e. to discern or understand, has now gone out of use, but occurs in AV in 1 K 5^ ' There is not among us any that can skill (so RV, Amer. RV ' knoweth how ') to hew timber,' 2 Ch 2'- " (all vi; to know), and 2 Ch 34'- ' all that could skill of (Amer. RV ' were skilful with ') instruments of musick ' (\'Z7t to be skilled in, Hiphil of ps to separate, under- stand). Cf.

Milton, Areopag. (Hates' ed. p. 39), ' A wealthy man addicted to his pleasure and to his profits finds Religion to be a traitick so entangl'd and of so many piddling accounts, that of all mj'steries he cannot skill to keep a stock going ujion that trade'; Elyot, Goccrnour, ii. 181, ' Whether he be a gentyll man or yoman, a r3-che man or a poore, if he sitte nat suerly and can skill of ridynge, the horse casteth him quickely ' ; and Lk 12'* Tind.

' Ypocrites, ye can skyll of the fassion of the erth and of the skye.' J. Hastings.