"scold" meaning in Middle English

See scold in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Head templates: {{head|enm|adjective|altform=1}} scold
  1. (Promptorium Parvulorum) alternative form of schold Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: schold
    Sense id: en-scold-enm-adj-tL3MwBxI Categories (other): Promptorium Parvulorum
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2 Categories (other): Personality Disambiguation of Personality: 0 0 0

Noun

IPA: /skɔ̝ːld/, /skaːld/ [Northern]
Etymology: Probably borrowed from Old Norse skald, of uncertain origin. First attested in c. 1275. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|non|skald|nocap=1}} borrowed from Old Norse skald, {{etydate|c|1275}} First attested in c. 1275 Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} scold, {{enm-noun|scoldes}} scold (plural scoldes) Forms: scoldes [plural], scolde [alternative], skold [alternative], skolde [alternative], scald [alternative, Northern], scalde [alternative, Northern], skald [alternative, Northern], skalde [alternative, Northern], skawde [alternative, Northern], scawde [alternative]
  1. A coarse and insulting individual, especially an abusive and obnoxious woman.
    Sense id: en-scold-enm-noun-yABQ5Yn2 Categories (other): Female people, People Disambiguation of Female people: 0 100 0 Disambiguation of People: 0 84 16
  2. (rare) A useless person; a wretch. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-scold-enm-noun-N-D2UvnZ
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: scolden
Etymology number: 1 Categories (other): Personality Disambiguation of Personality: 0 0 0

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "_dis": "0 0 0",
      "kind": "other",
      "langcode": "enm",
      "name": "Personality",
      "orig": "enm:Personality",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w+disamb"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "scolden"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "scold"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scauld"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scaul"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "skawl"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "scald"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scauld"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scaul"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "skawl"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "skald"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "skald",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "borrowed from Old Norse skald",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "c",
        "2": "1275"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in c. 1275",
      "name": "etydate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably borrowed from Old Norse skald, of uncertain origin. First attested in c. 1275.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "scoldes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scolde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skold",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skolde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scald",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scalde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skald",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skalde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skawde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scawde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "scold",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "scoldes"
      },
      "expansion": "scold (plural scoldes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "0 100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Female people",
          "orig": "enm:Female people",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "enm:People",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A coarse and insulting individual, especially an abusive and obnoxious woman."
      ],
      "id": "en-scold-enm-noun-yABQ5Yn2",
      "links": [
        [
          "coarse",
          "coarse"
        ],
        [
          "insulting",
          "insulting"
        ],
        [
          "individual",
          "individual"
        ],
        [
          "abusive",
          "abusive"
        ],
        [
          "obnoxious",
          "obnoxious"
        ],
        [
          "woman",
          "woman"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A useless person; a wretch."
      ],
      "id": "en-scold-enm-noun-N-D2UvnZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "useless",
          "useless"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "wretch",
          "wretch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A useless person; a wretch."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/skɔ̝ːld/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/skaːld/",
      "tags": [
        "Northern"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "scold"
}

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "_dis": "0 0 0",
      "kind": "other",
      "langcode": "enm",
      "name": "Personality",
      "orig": "enm:Personality",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w+disamb"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "scold",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "schold"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Promptorium Parvulorum",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of schold"
      ],
      "id": "en-scold-enm-adj-tL3MwBxI",
      "links": [
        [
          "schold",
          "schold#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Promptorium Parvulorum) alternative form of schold"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "scold"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English derogatory terms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Female people",
    "enm:People",
    "enm:Personality"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "scolden"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "scold"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scauld"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scaul"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "skawl"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "scald"
    },
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scauld"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "scaul"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Scots",
          "lang_code": "sco",
          "word": "skawl"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "Middle Scots",
      "lang_code": "gmw-msc",
      "word": "skald"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "skald",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "borrowed from Old Norse skald",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "c",
        "2": "1275"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in c. 1275",
      "name": "etydate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Probably borrowed from Old Norse skald, of uncertain origin. First attested in c. 1275.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "scoldes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scolde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skold",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skolde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scald",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scalde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skald",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skalde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "skawde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "scawde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "scold",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "scoldes"
      },
      "expansion": "scold (plural scoldes)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A coarse and insulting individual, especially an abusive and obnoxious woman."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "coarse",
          "coarse"
        ],
        [
          "insulting",
          "insulting"
        ],
        [
          "individual",
          "individual"
        ],
        [
          "abusive",
          "abusive"
        ],
        [
          "obnoxious",
          "obnoxious"
        ],
        [
          "woman",
          "woman"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A useless person; a wretch."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "useless",
          "useless"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "wretch",
          "wretch"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A useless person; a wretch."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/skɔ̝ːld/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/skaːld/",
      "tags": [
        "Northern"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "scold"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English alternative forms",
    "Middle English derogatory terms",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Female people",
    "enm:People",
    "enm:Personality"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective",
        "altform": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "scold",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "schold"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "Promptorium Parvulorum"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of schold"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "schold",
          "schold#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Promptorium Parvulorum) alternative form of schold"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "scold"
}

Download raw JSONL data for scold meaning in Middle English (3.5kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: Promptorium Parvulorum",
  "path": [
    "scold"
  ],
  "section": "Middle English",
  "subsection": "adjective",
  "title": "scold",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: Promptorium Parvulorum",
  "path": [
    "scold"
  ],
  "section": "Middle English",
  "subsection": "adjective",
  "title": "scold",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-07 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (d9fa233 and 9e92f4b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.