Etymograph

English

scathy

Scathy comes from Old English *scaþiġ ‘injurious’.

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150*scaþiġ1‘injurious’reconstructed
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500scathi1
  3. Englishtodayscathy1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English scathy

Lineage

  1. Old Englishc. 450–1150*scaþiġWiktionary, English scathy‘injurious’reconstructed
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500scathiWiktionary, English scathy
  3. EnglishtodayscathyWiktionary, English scathy

Formed from scathe + -y

Proto-Germanic *skaþô ‘damage, scathe’

Old Norse skaði ‘damage, harm’

Middle English scath

English scathe

Every English word from Old English *scaþiġ

Today it means

adj Mischievous; vicious; dangerous.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “scathy”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old English *scaþiġ / scathy

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