Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “scavenge” come from?

scavenge (English) comes from English scavenger, from Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour, from French scawage, from Old French scavage, from Old French escavage, from Old French escauvinghe, from Middle English shewing — -ing, -ion. "Forms gerund nouns from verbs.".

scavenge (English): to collect and remove refuse, or to search...

Definitions

  1. to collect and remove refuse, or to search...

Ancestry of “scavenge”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscavengerSomeone who scavenges, especially one who...
2Middle Englishscavager—
3Anglo-Normanscawageourone who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax...
4Frenchscawage—
5Old Frenchscavage—
6Old Frenchescavage—
7Old Frenchescauvinghescavage
8Middle Englishshewingpresent participle of shew
9Old Englishsċēawunginspection, contemplation; a showing, spectacle,...
10Old English-ungforming nouns from verbs, denoting verbal action...
11Proto-Germanic-ungō-ing, -ion. "Forms gerund nouns from verbs."

Words derived from “scavenge”

  • scavengeable
  • unscavengeable
Every word from Proto-Germanic -ungō →