Where does “scythe” come from?

Scythe comes from Middle English sythe, from Old English sīþe, from Proto-Germanic segiþō-, a tool for cutting grain or grass.

scythe (English): An instrument for mowing grass, grain, etc. by...

Definitions

  1. An instrument for mowing grass, grain, etc. by...

Ancestry of “scythe”, step by step

scythe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English sythe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsythescythe
2Old Englishsīþe—
3Proto-Germanicsegiþō-—

via Latin Scytha

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinScythaa Scythian
2Ancient GreekΣκύθηςan inhabitant of Scythia; a Scythian
3Proto-ScythianSkuδat—

Words derived from “scythe”

Every word from Proto-Germanic segiþō- →Every word from Old English sīþe →Every word from Middle English sythe →