Where does “fourscore” come from?

Fourscore derives from English four and Old Norse skor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷetwṓr meaning four.

fourscore (English): Eighty; A full-length life, reckoned as eighty...

Definitions

  1. Eighty; A full-length life, reckoned as eighty...

Ancestry of “fourscore”, step by step

fourscore traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English score

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscoreThe total number of goals, points, runs, etc....
2Middle Englishscorescore
3Old Englishscorunotch; tally; score
4Old Norseskórshoe
5Proto-Germanicskōhazshoe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanskewk-—
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kew-to caw, to howl; to cover, hide; to cover, hide,...

via English four

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfourA numerical value equal to 4; the number after...
2Middle Englishfourfour
3Old Englishfēowerfour
4Proto-West Germanicfeuwarfour
5Proto-Germanicfedwōrfour
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷetwóresfour
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷe-and
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kew- →