Etymology of the Word 'Scum'

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at the word, 'scum'. According to the paper, the word 'scum' has various applications and definitions. The paper reviews the history of the word and discusses how 'scum' can be used as a noun, a verb or an adjective.

From the Paper:

"The zero-grade form sk - was suffixed to form sk -mo-. Its derivatives are skim, from the Old French excume or scum, meerschaum, from the Old High German sc m, also implying scum, and scum, from Middle Dutch sch m. All of the three mentioned derivatives come from Germanic sk maz meaning foam or scum, implied in "that which covers the water". The form sk - was also suffixed to sk -ro-. Its derivatives are obscure and chiaroscuro from the Latin obsc rus meaning "covered or dark". The prefix ob- in Latin means "away from". "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andrews, Robert; Biggs, Mary; and Seidel, Michael, et al. (1996) "The Columbia World of Quotations" Retrieved November 6, 2006 from http://www.bartleby.com
• Douglas Harper (2001). "Online Etymology Dictionary" Retrieved November 6, 2006 from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=scum
• Houghton Mifflin Company (2000) "The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language", 4th Ed., Retrived November 6, 2006 from http://bartleby.com/61/77/S0177700.html
• "AskOxford,com" (2006). Retrieved November 6, 2006 from http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed
• "Merriam-Webster Online" (2006) Retrieved November 6, 2006 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

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