Where does “scab” come from?
Scab comes from Middle English scabb, from Old English sċeabb, from Proto-Germanic skabbaz, from Proto-Indo-European skabʰ-, meaning to scratch or scrape.
scab (English): An incrustation over a sore, wound, vesicle, or...
Definitions
- An incrustation over a sore, wound, vesicle, or...
Ancestry of “scab”, step by step
scab traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English scabb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scabb | — |
| 2 | Old English | sċeabb | scab |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *skabb | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skabbaz | scab; scabies, mange |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | skÀbʰ- | to scratch, scrape |
via Old Norse skabb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | skabb | scab, scabies |