Where does “scummy” come from?
scummy (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.
scummy (English): Covered in scum; sleazy, worthless, no good
Definitions
- Covered in scum; sleazy, worthless, no good
Ancestry of “scummy”, step by step
| 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 |
Words derived from “scummy”