Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “scamper” come from?

Scamper comes from English scamp, derived from Chinese 兒, Italian scampare, and Latin roots including ex and -arius.

scamper (English): A quick, light run; To run quickly and lightly,...

Definitions

  1. A quick, light run; To run quickly and lightly,...

Ancestry of “scamper”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscampA rascal, swindler, or rogue; a ne'er-do-well; A...
2Middle Dutchschampenslip away
3Old Frenchescamperto run away, to make one's escape
4Vulgar Latinexcapparepresent active infinitive of *excappō;...
5Latin-āre—
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
10Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “scamper”

  • scamperer
Every word from Chichewa iye →