Etymology Map
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Scalp

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means the skin and hair covering the top of the head

Where does the word "scalp" come from? It comes from Old Norse skalpr, passing through Middle English before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skalpr
Old Norse · medieval
"sheath, shell"
originally a sheath or shell-like casing; the sense 'skull cover' seems to come from the idea of a hard outer shell
2
Stage 2 of 3
scalp
Middle English · 1300s
"the crown of the head"
first recorded in northern English, where Norse settlers had left a deep mark on the dialect, meaning the top of the head or skull
3
Stage 3 of 3
scalp
English · 1600s
"the skin covering the top of the head"
narrowed to the skin and hair of the head; the grim trophy sense arose from colonial-era North American warfare
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Read the full story

Scalp’s story begins in Old Norse: skalpr meant “sheath, shell.” Originally a sheath or shell-like casing; the sense 'skull cover' seems to come from the idea of a hard outer shell. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as scalp. First recorded in northern English, where Norse settlers had left a deep mark on the dialect, meaning the top of the head or skull. It reached English by 1600s as scalp. Narrowed to the skin and hair of the head; the grim trophy sense arose from colonial-era North American warfare. Today, scalp means the skin and hair covering the top of the head.