The term “scroll” comes from the Old French word “escroe,” which means “strip” or “roll of parchment.” This is derived from the Vulgar Latin word “scrottum,” meaning “a piece cut off.”
1. Proto-Indo-European (PIE)
The PIE root “*sker-” means “to cut.”
2. Latin
From the PIE root, the Latin word “scrottum” developed, meaning “a piece cut off.” This evolved into Vulgar Latin “escrolla,” meaning “a roll” or “scroll.”
3. Old French (c. 9th to 14th century CE)
The Vulgar Latin term “escrolla” evolved into Old French “escroe” or “escroue,” meaning “strip” or “roll of parchment.”
4. Middle English (c. 11th to 15th century CE)
The Old French “escroe” was adopted into Middle English as “scrowe,” meaning “a roll of parchment or paper.”
5. Modern English (from 15th century CE to present)
The term “scroll” evolved into its current form and pronunciation, retaining the meaning of “a roll of parchment or paper” and later extending to “a digital display that moves vertically or horizontally.”
Phonetic Evolution
Over time, the pronunciation of “scroll” has remained relatively stable from Old French to Modern English.
Usage Examples
- “Scroll is often used to describe a roll of parchment or paper.”
- “Another example of ‘scroll’ in a sentence is ‘The ancient scroll contained valuable historical information.'”
Cultural or Historical Notes
The development of the word “scroll” was significantly influenced by the use of rolled parchment and paper documents in ancient and medieval times, which were essential for recording and preserving information.
The word “scroll” reflects the concept of rolled documents and has adapted to modern technology to describe the movement of digital content, emphasizing the importance of both historical and contemporary methods of information presentation and storage.