scortum

== Latin == === Etymology === From Proto-Italic *(s)korto-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)k(o)rt-o- (“that which is cut; a cutting”), perhaps from *(s)kert-, from the root *(s)ker- (“to cut”), which has other derivatives meaning “skin” or “bark”. Compare Latin scrōtum, scrautum, scrūta. See also corium, Proto-Germanic *skeraną (whence English shear), Ancient Greek κείρω (keírō, “to cut off”), Albanian harr (“to cut, to mow”), Lithuanian ski̇̀rti (“separate”), Welsh ysgar (“separate”), Old Armenian քերեմ (kʻerem, “to scrape, scratch”). Piecewise doublet of curtum. The prostitute sense may have arisen from the former skin, leather sense through scortum subigere (“beat leather; tan leather”), as an ancient metaphor for sexual intercourse. According to Festus, Scorta appellantur meretrices, quia ut pelliculae subiguntur, “Prostitutes are called ‘leathers’ because they are beaten/tanned like small skins.” Cf. Latin pellicula (“small skin; (in farce) whore”), Spanish pelleja (“skin, hide; whore”). Hammarström observes that skin removed from the animal is loose, flexible and lacks hold. Also compare typologically Russian шку́ра (škúra) (cognate via PIE). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈskɔr.tũː] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈskɔr.tum] === Noun === scortum n (genitive scortī); second declension harlot, prostitute (of either sex) Synonyms: (female) meretrīx, lupa, (Medieval Latin) apodix; (male) spintria (pre-classical and post-classical, rare) animal skin stripped off, hide, fell, pelt Synonyms: spolium, corium, pellis Near-synonym: cutis ==== Declension ==== Second-declension noun (neuter). ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Italian: scorto ==== See also ==== === References === “scortum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press “scortum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers "scortum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887) “scortum”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette. Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers James N. Adams (1983), Words for 'prostitute' in Latin, Rheinisches Museum für Philologie, Neue Folge, 126(3/4), pp. 321-358. M. Hammarström (1925), De uocibus scorti, scrattae, strittabillae, Éranos 23, pp. 104 ff. == Old English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈʃor.tum/, [ˈʃorˠ.tum] === Adjective === sċortum inflection of sċort: strong dative masculine/neuter singular strong/weak dative/instrumental masculine/feminine/neuter plural