Scurf
/skɜːrf/noun
A flaky or scaly shedding from the skin or scalp.
Did you know?Scurf is an old English word with Germanic roots, and its history shows how everyday body words often preserve the blunt, physical vocabulary of early speakers rather than later medical Latin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*(s)ker-
“to cut, shear, or separate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skurfaz
“scurf, scale, or husk”
Old English
OE
scurf
“scurf; a scaly or flaky covering”
Middle English
ME
scurf
“scurf; dandruff or a scabby crust”
Modern English
English
scurf
“a flaky or scaly shedding from the skin or scalp”