Etymograph

English

scamp

Scamp comes from Middle Dutch schampen ‘slip away’, from Vulgar Latin *excappare ‘to escape’, and ultimately from Latin cappa ‘cape, cloak’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcappa‘cape, cloak’
  2. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*excappareas *excampāre‘to escape’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400escamper‘to run away, to make one's escape’
  4. Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500schampen‘slip away’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1886scamp

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcappa‘cape, cloak’
  2. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*excappareas *excampāre‘to escape’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400escamper‘to run away, to make one's escape’
  4. Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500schampen‘slip away’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1886scamp

Earliest quotation: 1886, Peter Christen Asbjø￵rnsen, Folk and Fairy Tales: “He is a scamp, he is and it isn't…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’

had, case, except, heavy, accept, receive, behavior, cash, achieve, catch, heavily, capacity, chase, capable, cable, recipe, reception, occupation, capture, perception, haven, behave, recipient, hawk, anticipation, anticipate, deception, chassis, susceptible, caption, captive, capsule, conceive, deceive, captivity, deceptive, cater, deceit, cassette, conceivable, 135 more

through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’

head, 60 more

through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’

capitalism, capitalize, capitan, capote, capitaine, 61 more

through Latin caput ‘head’

capital, chapter, captain, chef, cattle, capitol, precipitation, capita, mischief, cad, mischievous, chieftain, precipitate, capillary, occipital, precipitous, chattel, capo, caddie, capitulate, chabot, jefe, dishevelled, cabochon, caput, 68 more

through Latin cappa ‘cape, cloak’

cope, chapel, cape, cabin, chaplain, cabana, capa, capuchin, kaput, chaperon, 19 more

through Vulgar Latin *excappare ‘to escape’

escape, escapade, 2 more

Today it means

noun A rascal, swindler, or rogue; a ne'er-do-well.

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

Etymograph / Latin cappa / scamp

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