scala (English)

Where does "scala" come from?

The English word 'scala' is a direct borrowing from Latin 'scāla', which means 'ladder'[1]. The Latin term originated from the reconstructed form '*skand-slā', derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*skend-'[2]. It is also recognized as a doublet of the English word 'scale'[1].

Open questions

• The form '*skand-slā' is a reconstructed linguistic form rather than an attested historical word. [2]
• The proposed Armeno-Italic isogloss linking the term to Old Armenian 'sandułkʻ' is a scholarly hypothesis rather than a confirmed historical development. [2]

Full etymology tree

• scala (English), 'Ladder; sequence.'
  • borrowed scala (Latin), 'ladder'
    • inherited *skand-slā (Proto-Italic)
      • derived *skend- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to jump up, ascend'

Ancestors

• scala (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

• scale (English)

Sources

1. scala (English) - Wiktionary
2. scala (Latin) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

More words starting with S

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris