Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “scapegoat” come from?

Scapegoat derives from English goat via Latin scapus and Ancient Greek σκᾶπος, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European ǵʰew-.

scapegoat (English): In the Mosaic Day of Atonement ritual, a goat...

Definitions

  1. In the Mosaic Day of Atonement ritual, a goat...

Ancestry of “scapegoat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscapeA leafless stalk growing directly out of a root;...
2Middle Englishscapen—
3Middle Englishescapen—
4Old FrenchescaperAlternative form of eschaper
5Vulgar Latinexcapparepresent active infinitive of *excappō;...
6Latin-āre—
7Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
8Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
9Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
11Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “scapegoat”

  • scapegoatism
  • scapegoater
Every word from Chichewa iye →