Ski

A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partially secured heel. For climbing slopes, ski skins (originally made of seal fur, but now made of synthetic materials) can be attached at the base of the ski.

Originally intended as an aid to travel over snow, they are now mainly used recreationally in the sport of skiing.

Etymology and usage

The word ski comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means stick of wood or ski.

In Norwegian this word is usually pronounced [ˈʃiː]. In Swedish, another language evolved from Old Norse, the word is "skidor" (pl.).

English and French use the original spelling "ski", and modify the pronunciation. Prior to 1920, English usage of "skee" and "snow-shoe" is often seen. In Italian, it is pronounced as in Norwegian, and the spelling is modified: "sci". Portuguese, German and Spanish adapt the word to their linguistic rules: esqui, Schier (a German plural of Ski) and esquí. In Dutch, the word is "ski” and pronunciation was originally [ˈʃiː] as in Norwegian, but since approximately the 1960s changed to [ˈskiː]. Many languages make a verb form out of the noun, such as "to ski" in English, "skier" in French, "esquiar" in Spanish, "sciare" in Italian, "skiën" in Dutch, "esquiar" in Portuguese or "schilaufen" (as above also Ski laufen or Ski fahren) in German.

List of family name affixes

Family name affixes are a clue for family name etymology and can sometimes determine the ethnic origin of a person. This is a partial list of affixes.

Prefixes

  • A – (Romanian) "son of"
  • Ab – (Welsh, Breton) "son of"
  • Ap – (Welsh) "son of"
  • Abu – (Arabic) "father of"; also used in Hebrew prior to 1300 BCE
  • Al – (Arabic) "the"
  • Bar – (Hebrew) "son of"
  • Bath, bat – (Hebrew) "daughter of"
  • Ben, bin, ibn – (Arabic and Hebrew) "son of"
  • Bet – (Arabic from "Beyt") "house of"
  • Bint – (Arabic) "daughter of"
  • Da – (Italian) "from, of"; (Portuguese) "from the" (before a feminine singular noun)
  • Das – (Portuguese) "from the, of the", preceding a feminine plural noun
  • De – (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese) "of"; indicates region of origin, often a sign of nobility; in Spanish-speaking countries a married woman will sometimes append her name with "de XXXX" where "XXXX" is her husband's last name; (Dutch) "the"
  • Degli – (Italian) "of the", preceding a masculine plural noun starting with either sp, sc, ps, z, gn or st.
  • Ski (driving stunt)

    Skiing is an automotive driving stunt where the car is driven while balanced only on two wheels, either the pair on the driver side or on the passenger side.

    The stunt is generally performed by driving one pair of wheels up on a ramp to lift one side of the car. Alternately, the stunt can be done in a vehicle with a high center of gravity (such as a 4x4 or SUV) by turning sharply or at speed. This technique is more dangerous because there is a strong possibility of the vehicle tipping completely over. Another technique is to let some air out of the tires that will be on the ground, so that the car can tip easier, as well as keep its balance better. Once up on two wheels, the car has to be balanced by steering (much as one would when riding a bicycle) which makes it necessary to drive more or less in a straight line. The vehicle used must also be fitted with a lockable differential (common on 4x4s).

    Famous uses

    The stunt has been used in many movies and television series, including Knight Rider,The Dukes of Hazzard, and two of the James Bond movies. The British stunt driver Russ Swift performs this maneuver as part of his shows and has achieved it in a wide range of vehicles including trucks. His son Paul also uses it in his displays and once rolled a Ford Fiesta whilst attempting to drive around Cardiff's Millennium Stadium at the Wales Rally GB in 2005.

    Podcasts:

    Ski

    ALBUMS

    Ski

    ALBUMS

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    • by Alison Moyet

    Ski

    by: Alison Moyet

    No easy about it
    Born to a mountain slide
    You're gonna learn to take a dive
    No easy about it
    I won't tell you not to need it
    'Cause you don't want no chatter now
    Wears you down just to sit it out
    And you don't want to hear a thing about
    What he should but doesn't think about
    When you wanted him without a doubt
    You learn to skate
    On something this cold
    And down the hills
    That summer used to fill
    With honey flowers
    That I know
    You could never bear
    To carry home
    Deep in snow
    (Oh that I want)
    Everything I ever wanted
    (Oh that I need)
    (Oh that I have)
    Everything I ever wanted
    (Oh I need)
    Sit down here with me
    Feeling like a bad man
    (Feeling like a bad man)
    Do I love you only?
    You are the child I wanted
    You are dear
    And down the hills
    That summer used to fill
    With honey flowers
    You could never bear
    To carry home
    Deep in snow
    You learn to skate
    On some things cold
    You're freed
    The moment you are free
    Do I love you only?
    You are the child I wanted
    You are dear
    And down the hills
    That summer used to fill
    With honey flowers
    You could never bear
    To carry home
    Deep in snow
    Haa yea eee yea
    Haa haa haa yea eee yea
    Haa haa haa yea eee yea
    Haa haa haa yea eee yea
    Haa haa haa yea eee yea
    Haa haa haa yea eee yea
    (You learn to skate)
    Haa haa haa yea eee yea
    (You learn to skate)




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