Squama
/ˈskweɪ.mə/noun
A scale, especially one of the bony or horny plates covering a fish, reptile, or insect.
Did you know?Latin *squama* was the ordinary word for a scale or flaky plate, and its deeper Indo-European history also links it to words for rough, split, or shell-like surfaces rather than anything mystical invented later.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skey-
“To cut, split, or separate; likely the distant source of rough, split, or scaling forms”
Latin
Latin
squama
“A scale, flake, or small protective plate”
Late Latin
Latin
squama
“A scale or scaly covering, especially in technical and medical usage”
Old French
Old French
escaille
“A scale or shell-like plate”
Middle English
English
scale
“A thin plate, flake, or protective covering”
Modern English
English
scale
“A small, thin plate covering an animal, or a flaky piece of material”