Etymology Map
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Scroll

3 stages from Frankish to English.

Today it means a roll of parchment; to move text on a screen

Where does the word "scroll" come from? It comes from Frankish skrauda, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
skrauda
Frankish · ancient
"shred, strip"
a Frankish word related to 'shred'
2
Stage 2 of 3
escroue
Old French · medieval
"scrap of parchment"
altered in English by 'rowle', roll
3
Stage 3 of 3
scroll
English · 1400s
"roll of parchment"
computer 'scrolling' dates from the 1970s
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Read the full story

Scroll’s story begins in Frankish: skrauda meant “shred, strip.” A Frankish word related to 'shred'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as escroue. Altered in English by 'rowle', roll. It reached English by 1400s as scroll. Computer 'scrolling' dates from the 1970s. Today, scroll means a roll of parchment; to move text on a screen.