scaþel

adj.

WA skathill, schathill, schatell

'dangerous'

(Modern English )

Etymology

Like the related ME scaþe (n.), always derived from ON because of the absence of palatalization of /sk/. Although the ON n., represented by OIcel skaði (n.) 'harm, damage' is attested, the adj. is not, but a form *skǫðull < PGmc *skaþulaz (derived on the same root; cp. further the st. v. *skaþjan- 'to harm' represented by OE sceððen, OIcel skeðja, Go skaþjan) cognate with Go skaþuls 'harmful' and OHG skadal 'wicked, spoiled' is plausibly reconstructed to explain the ME.

PGmc Ancestor

*skaþula-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

*skǫðull, cp. skaði (n.) 'harm, damage'
(ONP )

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

OE Cognate

cp. sceaða (n.) ‘injurious person’ (and rarely ‘injury’)

Phonological and morphological markers

absence of palatalization of */sk/

Summary category

A1*c

Attestation

Cited by MED and OED exclusively from N texts, most of which are alliterative poems.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pat 155; WA 2992, 4802

Bibliography

MED scā̆thel (adj.) , OED scathel (adj.) , HTOED , Bj. 123, Vries skaði (1), Mag. skaði (1), Bj-L. skade, Orel *skaþulaz, Kroonen *skaþjan-, AEW sceaða