Scutum
/ˈskuː.tʊm/noun
A shield, especially a large Roman shield; in zoology, a shield-like plate or part.
Did you know?Latin scutum is the source of English words like *escutcheon* and *scutum*, and it likely belongs to an old Indo-European shield-word family tied to the idea of covering or sheltering.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skeud-
“to shoot, throw, or cover; a root associated with protection and projectiles”
Old Latin
Latin
scūtum
“a shield, especially a large Roman shield”
Classical Latin
Latin
scūtum
“a Roman soldier’s shield”
Middle English
English
escucheon
“a shield or heraldic shield-shaped emblem”
Modern English
English
scutum
“a shield; in anatomy or zoology, a shield-like plate”
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