Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “scar” come from?

scar (Middle English) comes from Middle English skar, from Old Norse skarð, from Proto-Germanic skardą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.

Ancestry of “scar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishskarincision, cut, fissure
2Old Norseskarðnotch, hack; notch, chink, gap
3Proto-Germanicskardąnotch; nick
4Proto-Indo-European(s)ḱer-dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth

Words derived from “scar”

  • scar
  • scaur
  • scarless
  • scarry
  • scarlike
  • scarface
  • scarlessly
  • scarreth
  • scarproof
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱer- →