Etymology Map
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Scathe

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means (archaic) to harm; now mostly in 'scathing' and 'unscathed'

Where does the word "scathe" come from? It comes from Old Norse skaða, passing through Middle English before entering English (1790s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skaða
Old Norse · medieval
"to harm, injure"
a verb for doing harm; the related German 'Schaden' gives 'schadenfreude'
2
Stage 2 of 3
scathe
Middle English · 1200s
"harm, damage"
reinforced an Old English cognate, 'sceaþa', meaning a criminal or enemy
3
Stage 3 of 3
scathing
English · 1790s
"witheringly critical"
the verb faded, but survives in 'unscathed' and in 'scathing' for harshly critical words
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Read the full story

Scathe’s story begins in Old Norse: skaða meant “to harm, injure.” A verb for doing harm; the related German 'Schaden' gives 'schadenfreude'. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as scathe. Reinforced an Old English cognate, 'sceaþa', meaning a criminal or enemy. It reached English by 1790s as scathing. The verb faded, but survives in 'unscathed' and in 'scathing' for harshly critical words. Today, scathe means (archaic) to harm; now mostly in 'scathing' and 'unscathed'.