| 1 | Middle French | scandale | discourse, either spoken or written, which causes... |
| 2 | Latin | scandalum | temptation; stumbling block; trap |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σκάνδαλον | trap, snare; enticement, temptation; offense,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | skand- | to jump, go up; to shine, to glow; bright |