# what's the origin of the word scoundrel?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-word-scoundrel/299474>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 15, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-word-scoundrel/299474 "2005-04-15T14:03:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-word-scoundrel/299474/1 "2005-04-15T14:03:29Z")

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what’s the origin of the word scoundrel? I can’t seem to find out anywhere I look.  
Thanks. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-word-scoundrel/299474/2 "2005-04-15T14:51:58Z")

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The [Online Etymology Dictionary](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=scoundrel&searchmode=none) is always a good place to start with this sort of query. Here it’s not too much help, but does at least suggest a theory, which is more than my desk dictionary does (that just says “16th century, of unknown origin”).

> [@](#):
>
> One suggestion is Anglo-Fr. _escoundre_ ([O.Fr](http://O.Fr). _escondre_) “to hide, hide oneself,” from V.L. \*_excondere_, from L. _condere_ “to hide” (see abscond), The main objection to this theory is that hundreds of years lie between the two words.

[Here’s](http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/scoundrel) an alternative suggestion, which seems more sure of itself:

> [@](#):
>
> Origin: Probably from Prov. E. & Scotch scunner, scouner, to loathe, to disgust, akin to AS. Scunian to shun. See Shun.

I’m not entirely convinced by either of those, but take your pick 🙂