sculle (Middle English)

Where does "sculle" come from?

The Middle English noun 'sculle' has an uncertain origin[1]. It is likely borrowed from the Old Norse form '*skulli', which functions as a variant of 'skalli', meaning bald head or skull[1]. This term can be traced further back to a Proto-Indo-European root written as '*(s)kelH-'[1].

Open questions

• The exact origin of the Middle English term remains uncertain, with the connection to the Old Norse form treated as likely rather than absolute. [1]

Full etymology tree

• sculle (Middle English), 'skull'
  • derived *skulli (Old Norse)
    • derived skalli (Old Norse)

Ancestors

• *(s)kelH- (Proto-Indo-European)

Cognates and doublets

• skulle (Swedish)

Descendants and derived words

• skull (English)
• skull (English)
• skull (English)
• skolt (Scots)
• skult (Scots)
• skult (Scots)
• skult (Scots)
• skult (Scots)

Sources

1. sculle (Middle English) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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