Scorn (n.) c.1200, a shortening of Old French escarn mockery, derision, contempt, a common Romanic word (Spanish escarnio, Italian scherno) of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *skarnjan mock, deride (cognates: Old High German skern mockery, jest, sport, Middle High German scherzen to jump with joy). Probably influenced by Old French escorne affront, disgrace, which is a back-formation from escorner, literally to break off (someones) horns, from Vulgar Latin *excornare (source of Italian scornare treat with contempt), from Latin ex- without (see ex-) + cornu horn (see horn (n.)). scorn (v.) c.1200, from Anglo-French, Old North French escarnir (Old French escharnir), from the source of scorn (n.). Cognate with Old High German skernon, Middle Dutch schernen. Related: Scorned; scorning. Forms in Romanic languages influenced by confusion with Old French escorner deprive of horns, hence deprive of honor or ornament, disgrace. Horn (n.) Old English horn horn of an animal, also wind instrument (originally made from animal horns), from Proto-Germanic *hurnaz (cognates: German Horn, Dutch horen, Gothic haurn), from PIE *ker- (1) horn; head, uppermost part of the body, with derivatives refering to horned animals, horn-shaped objects and projecting parts (cognates: Greek karnon horn, Latin cornu horn, Sanskrit srngam horn, Persian sar head, Avestan sarah- head, Greek koryphe head, Latin cervus deer, Welsh carw deer). Reference to car horns is first recorded 1901. Figurative senses of Latin cornu included salient point, chief argument; wing, flank; power, courage, strength. Jazz slang sense of trumpet is by 1921. Meaning telephone is by 1945. horn (v.) 1690s, to furnish with horns, from horn (n.). Earlier in figurative sense of to cuckold (1540s). Meaning to push with the horns (of cattle, buffalo, etc.) is from 1851, American English; phrase horn in intrude is by 1880, American English, originally cowboy slang.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 05:22:53 +0000