English
scribble
Scribble comes from Latin scrībillō ‘to scribble or write of trivial matters’, from cōnscrībō ‘to enroll or enlist, levy’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- ‘to scratch, to tear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kreybʰ-‘to scratch, to tear’root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kréybʰetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*skreiβō‘to carve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEscrībō‘write’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnscrībō‘to enroll or enlist, levy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEscrībillō‘to scribble or write of trivial matters’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500scrīben
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500scriblen
- Englishtodayscribble
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kreybʰ-‘to scratch, to tear’root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kréybʰetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*skreiβō‘to carve’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEscrībō‘write’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnscrībō‘to enroll or enlist, levy’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEscrībillō‘to scribble or write of trivial matters’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500scrīben
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500scriblen
- Englishtodayscribble
Formed from scribe + -le
Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- ‘to scratch, to tear’
Old French scribe
Middle English scribe
English scribe
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti
through Proto-Italic *skreiβō ‘to carve’
prescription, scripture, transcript, inscription, shriver, scriptural, nondescript, descript, 28 more
through Latin scrībō ‘write’
description, script, prescribe, transcribe, shrift, ascribe, scrivener, inscribe, 34 more
through Latin cōnscrībō ‘to enroll or enlist, levy’
Today it means
verb To write or draw carelessly and in a hurry.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- / scribble