scissors

Where does the word "scissors" come from? It comes from Late Latin cisoria, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Scissors’s story begins in Late Latin: cisoria meant “cutting tools.” From 'caedere', to cut, confused with 'scindere', to split. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cisoires. The 'sc' spelling came from confusion with Latin 'scissor', a cutter. It reached English by 1300s as scissors. 'scissor kick' dates from the 1900s. Today, scissors means a cutting tool with two crossing blades.

1. Stage 1 · Late Latin · ancient cisoria "cutting tools", from 'caedere', to cut, confused with 'scindere', to split.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval cisoires "shears", the 'sc' spelling came from confusion with Latin 'scissor', a cutter.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s scissors "shears", 'scissor kick' dates from the 1900s.