Etymograph

English

Skoptsy

Skoptsy comes from Russian скопе́ц ‘skopets, a member of a Russian religious…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *skop- ‘to grave, to cut, to strike’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skop-‘to grave, to cut, to strike’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*skopiti‘to castrate’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Slavic, derivedc. 400–900 CE*skopьcь‘castrated person, eunuch’reconstructed
  4. Old East Slavicmodernскопьць
  5. Russianmodernскопе́цskopcýas скопцы́‘skopets, a member of a Russian religious eunuch movement practising self-castration’
  6. EnglishtodaySkoptsy

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skop-‘to grave, to cut, to strike’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Slavicc. 400–900 CE*skopiti‘to castrate’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Slavic, derivedc. 400–900 CE*skopьcь‘castrated person, eunuch’reconstructed
  4. Old East Slavicmodernскопьць
  5. Russianmodernскопе́цskopcýas скопцы́‘skopets, a member of a Russian religious eunuch movement practising self-castration’
  6. EnglishtodaySkoptsy

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *skop-

Today it means

noun An underground religious movement in Russia, known for practising castration and mastectomy in accordance with their teachings. The movement was active to the mid 20th century.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *skop- / Skoptsy

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