Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “scornen” come from?

scornen (Middle English) comes from Old French escharnir, from Vulgar Latin escarnire, from Proto-Germanic skarnjan, from Proto-Germanic skeraną, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.

Ancestry of “scornen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchescharnir—
2Vulgar Latinescarnire—
3Proto-Germanicskarnjan—
4Proto-Germanicskeranąto shear
5Proto-Indo-Europeansḱer-to caw, crow

Words derived from “scornen”

  • scorn
  • scornful
  • scornfully
  • scorner
  • scorneth
  • scornfulness
  • scornest
  • scorny
  • outscorn
  • unscornful
  • scornworthy
  • bescorn
  • scornee
  • unscornfulness
  • scornless
  • sgorneux
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- →