Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “scallop” come from?

Scallop comes from French escalope, a word of uncertain origin and meaning.

scallop (English): Any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the...

Definitions

  1. Any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the...

Ancestry of “scallop”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchescalopeshell
2Old Frenchescaleshell
3Old High Germanskala—
4Proto-Germanicskalōshell; lump, ball
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Words derived from “scallop”

  • scalloped
  • scollop
  • scalloper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →