skew

the word 'skew' entered english in the late middle english period as a verb, primarily meaning to avoid or escape. this sense evolved from the old north french 'eskiuer'. the modern meanings related to oblique angles, distortion, and statistical bias developed in the 16th and 17th centuries. the semantic shift likely progressed from the idea of swerving to avoid something, which implies a turning away from a straight line or intended course. this core idea of deviation from the straight, direct, or true path underlies all its current uses, from a skewed picture frame to a biased dataset.

the word 'skew' is a simplex form. it is of middle english origin, from the old north french 'eskiuer', meaning to shun or avoid, which is related to old french 'eschever'. its ultimate origin is uncertain but may be germanic.