Where does “scale” come from?
scale (Middle English) comes from Old French escale, from Old High German skala, from Proto-Germanic skalō, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
scale (Middle English): flake
Definitions
- flake
Ancestry of “scale”, step by step
scale traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French escale
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | escale | shell |
| 2 | Old High German | skala | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | skalō | shell; lump, ball |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |