Where does “scumbitch” come from?

scumbitch (English) comes from English scum, from Middle English scum, from Middle Dutch schūme, from Old Dutch *scūm, from Frankish skūm, from Proto-Germanic skūmaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- — to cover, bedeck; cover.

Ancestry of “scumbitch”, step by step

scumbitch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English scum

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishscumA layer of impurities that accumulates at the...
2Middle Englishscum—
3Middle Dutchschūmefoam
4Old Dutch*scūm—
5Frankishskūmfoam; froth, foam
6Proto-Germanicskūmazfilm; grime; scum; foam; froth; yeast
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kewH-to cover, bedeck; cover

via English bitch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbitchA female dog or other canine, "particularly" a...
2Middle EnglishbiccheAlternative form of biche
3Old Englishbiċċefemale dog
4Proto-Germanicbikjǭfemale dog, bitch
5Proto-Germanicbikjanąto attack, stab, hack, thrust
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeg-to break
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic skūmaz →Every word from Frankish skūm →