Scythe
/saɪð/noun
A tool used for cutting crops, especially grass or grain, consisting of a long curved blade attached to a handle.
Did you know?The scythe is often depicted in art as the Grim Reaper's tool, symbolizing the harvest of souls and the inevitability of death, linking agricultural practices with mortality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skei-
“to cut or split”
Old English
Old English
sciþ
“a cutting tool or instrument”
Old High German
OHG
sciþa
“sickle or scythe, used for harvesting”
Middle English
Middle English
scithe
“tool for cutting grass or grain, associated with agriculture and death”
Modern English
English
scythe
“the evolved term for the curved blade tool, retaining its agricultural and symbolic significance”