Scaramouche
/ˌskærəˈmuːʃ/noun
A boastful, cowardly comic character from commedia dell’arte, often portrayed as a masked servant or swordsman.
Did you know?Scaramouche became one of commedia dell’arte’s recurring masked figures, and the name is probably connected with Italian scaramuccia, meaning “skirmish” or “brief fight.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic period
Proto-Germanic
*skirmjaną
“To protect, defend, or engage in combat; a proposed ancestor of later Germanic words for a skirmish.”
Medieval period
Old French
escarmouche
“A skirmish or brief military encounter, probably borrowed through Germanic influence.”
16th Century
Italian
scaramuccia
“A skirmish, clash, or brief fight; also used as the name of a theatrical character.”
16th–17th Century
Italian
Scaramuccio
“The name of a stock character in commedia dell’arte, typically a boastful and cowardly masked servant.”
17th Century
French
Scaramouche
“The French form of the character’s name, popularized in theatrical performances.”
Modern English
English
Scaramouche
“A comic theatrical character or a swaggering, cowardly person; also widely recognized from popular culture.”
Explore more surprising origins