Etymology

Continuing late OE scuru 'number of twenty', always derived from ON, cp. skor 'notch, incision, the number four hundred (referring to the practice of counting by tallies)' < PGmc *skurō- (cp. MLG schore 'fissure'). The difference in sense, SPS observes, indicates a misunderstanding regarding the number referred to. The distribution of the OE n. (although the ME n. and place-name occur further afield) as well as the lack of palatalization of initial /sk/ indicate loan.

PGmc Ancestor

*skurō-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

skor 'notch, incision, the number four hundred'
(ONP skor (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far skor, Icel skor, Norw skor, Sw dial skårr

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

absence of palatalization of */sk/

Summary category

A1c

Attestation

SPS notes that late OE scoru is only recorded from notes regarding food rents, charitable gifts etc. from Scandinavianized Bury St Edmunds (along with another ON loan, OE sceppe 'dry measure', cp. Icel skeppa 'measure, bushel'). The ME n., however, is common and widespread from the 14c. and the place-name element occurs from War. and the SW.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 1372, 3177, 4200 etc.

Bibliography

MED scōr(e (n.) , OED score (n.) , HTOED , Bj. 129, SPS 58-9, de Vries skor, Mag. skor, Orel skurō(n)