Where does “scissors” come from?

Scissors comes from Middle English sisoures, from Old French cisoires, from Vulgar Latin cisoria, from Latin cisorium, ultimately from Latin caedo meaning "to cut" via the root Proto-Indo-European kh₂eyd-.

scissors (English): A tool used for cutting thin material, consisting...

Definitions

  1. A tool used for cutting thin material, consisting...

Ancestry of “scissors”, step by step

scissors traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English scissor

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscissorOne blade on a pair of scissors; Scissors; Used...
2Latinscindōto cut, tear
3Proto-Italicskindōto cut, to tear, to rend, to separate
4Proto-Indo-Europeanskinédtito be cutting off
5Proto-Indo-Europeansḱeyd-to shade; to cut off; to part with, separate, cut...
6Proto-Indo-Europeansḱēy-to shine; to shimmer; shadow; luster, gloss,...
7Proto-Germanicskaidąseparation, distinction
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanskÁit-to cut, part, spearate, divide; to cut, part,...

via Middle English sisours

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsisoursscissors, shears; candle extinguisher
2Old Frenchcisoires
3Vulgar Latincisoria
4Late Latincisoriumcutting tool
5Latincaederesecond-person singular future passive indicative...

Words derived from “scissors

Every word from Proto-Indo-European skÁit-Every word from Proto-Germanic skaidąEvery word from Proto-Indo-European sḱēy-
scissors — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer