Where does “scout” come from?

Scout comes from Middle English scout, from Old French escoute and escouter, from Latin auscultare, meaning to listen or hear.

scout (English): A person sent out to gain and bring in tidings;...

Definitions

  1. A person sent out to gain and bring in tidings;...

Ancestry of “scout”, step by step

scout traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English scout

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishscout—
2Old Frenchescouteaction of listening
3Old Frenchescouterto listen
4LatinauscultoI listen, I hear; I heed, I accept, I obey
5Proto-Italic*auskoltā—

via Middle English scoult

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishscoult—
Every word from Proto-Italic *auskoltā →Every word from Latin ausculto →Every word from Old French escouter →