Scourge
/skɜːrdʒ/noun
A whip or other instrument used for punishment; by extension, a cause of great suffering or severe affliction.
Did you know?In medieval English, a scourge was not just a metaphor: it was a literal whip, and the word later became a biblical and political label for any devastating force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to cut, shear, or tear”
Late Latin
Latin
excoriare
“to strip the skin from; flay”
Old French
Old French
escorgier / escorgie
“a whip; to whip or lash”
Middle English
English
scourge
“a whip, lash, or instrument of punishment”
Modern English
English
scourge
“a cause of widespread suffering or affliction”