sketch

Where does the word "sketch" come from? It comes from Italian schizzo, passing through Dutch before entering English (1600s-1700s).

Sketch’s story begins in Italian: schizzo meant “a splash, a rough drawing.” Meaning "a splash" or "a hastily made drawing". By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Dutch as schets. From Italian 'schizzo', splash. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as sketch. Comedy 'sketches' date from the late 1800s. Today, sketch means a quick, rough drawing, or a brief comedic performance.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · medieval schizzo "a splash, a rough drawing", meaning "a splash" or "a hastily made drawing".
2. Stage 2 · Dutch · 1600s schets "a rough drawing", from Italian 'schizzo', splash.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s-1700s sketch "a quick, rough drawing", comedy 'sketches' date from the late 1800s.