Where does “scumminess” come from?
scumminess (English) comes from English scummy, 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.
scumminess (English): The state or condition of being scummy
Definitions
- The state or condition of being scummy
Ancestry of “scumminess”, step by step
scumminess traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English scummy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | scummy | Covered in scum; sleazy, worthless, no good |
| 2 | English | scum | A layer of impurities that accumulates at the... |
| 3 | Middle English | scum | — |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | schūme | foam |
| 5 | Old Dutch | *scūm | — |
| 6 | Frankish | skūm | foam; froth, foam |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skūmaz | film; grime; scum; foam; froth; yeast |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |