skere

n.

'fear' (Modern English scare)

Etymology

This is the first attestation of the rare ME n. formed on scarreʒ (v.), always derived from ON because of the absence of initial palatalisation of /sk/.

PGmc Ancestor

*skerr(j)an-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

cp. skirra (v.) 'bar, prevent', cp. skirrask 'shun, skrink from'
(ONP cp. skirra (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

absence of palatalization of */sk/

Summary category

A1c

Attestation

The only attestations of a n. with this vocalism come from WA and (in a different sense) a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)(see MED). On the MnE form scare, see OED and Bj. 125. The v. first occurs in Orrm and early attestations suggest a N dial bias before becoming widespread.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 4731

Bibliography

MED sker(e (n.) , OED scare (n.2) , HTOED , Bj. 125; see further scarreʒ (v.).