scortum

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Compare scrōtum, scrautum, scrūta. See also corium, Proto-Germanic *skeraną (whence English shear), Ancient Greek κείρω (keírō, “I cut off”), Albanian harr (“to cut, to mow”), Lithuanian skìrti (“separate”), Welsh ysgar (“separate”), Old Armenian քերեմ (kʻerem, “to scrape, scratch”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈskor.tum/, [ˈs̠kɔrt̪ʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈskor.tum/, [ˈskɔrt̪um]

Noun

scortum n (genitive scortī); second declension

1. a skin, hide
2. a harlot, prostitute

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	scortum	scorta
Genitive	scortī	scortōrum
Dative	scortō	scortīs
Accusative	scortum	scorta
Ablative	scortō	scortīs
Vocative	scortum	scorta

Synonyms

• (prostitute): apodix f (Mediaeval), meretrīx f (slang)

Derived terms

• scorteus
• scortillum
• scortor

Related terms

• scortātor
• scortātus
• scortea

References

• “scortum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “scortum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• scortum in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• scortum in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.