Where does “scummish” come from?
scummish (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 “scummish”, step by step
scummish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English scum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | scum | A layer of impurities that accumulates at the... |
| 2 | Middle English | scum | — |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | schūme | foam |
| 4 | Old Dutch | *scūm | — |
| 5 | Frankish | skūm | foam; froth, foam |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skūmaz | film; grime; scum; foam; froth; yeast |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |
via English ish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ish | Pronunciation spelling of is; somewhat,... |
| 2 | English | -ish | Typical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,... |
| 3 | Middle English | -ish | Alternative form of -yssh |
| 4 | Old English | -isċ | -ish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -isk | Creates adjectives from nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iskaz | Forms adjectives from nouns with the sense of... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iskos | Characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to |