Where does “scum” come from?
Scum comes from Middle English scum, from Middle Dutch schūme, from Proto-Germanic skūmaz, from Proto-Indo-European skew-.
scum (English): A layer of impurities that accumulates at the...
Definitions
- A layer of impurities that accumulates at the...
Ancestry of “scum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scum | — |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | schūme | foam |
| 3 | Old Dutch | *scūm | — |
| 4 | Frankish | skūm | foam; froth, foam |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skūmaz | film; grime; scum; foam; froth; yeast |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |
Words derived from “scum”