▪ I. scold, n.
(skəʊld)
Forms: α. north. (now north. dial. and Sc.) 3–4, 8–9 scald, 4–6 skald, 5 skawde, scawde, skalde, scalde, 9 scauld, scaad. β. 3–7 scolde, 4–6 skolde, 5–7 skold, 6 schold, skould, 6–7 scould, 7 scowld, 3– scold. γ. north. 6 scolle, skol, scaule, scoule, 8 scaul, scawl.
[App. a. ON. skáld neut. (see skald), originally meaning a poet; the sense-development postulated is strange, but the probability of a sense ‘lampooner’ as an intermediate stage seems to be indicated by the fact that the derivative skáldskapr, lit. ‘skaldship’, poetry, has in the Icel. law-books the specific sense of libel in verse.]
1. In early use, a person (esp. a woman) of ribald speech; later, a woman (rarely a man) addicted to abusive language.
In the example from Ormin, the sense may be ‘minstrel’.
| α c 1200 Ormin 2192 Full wel birrþ ure maȝȝdenn ben Forrshamedd, ȝiff mann brinngeþ Biforenn hire unnþæwfull word & wælinng word þurrh scaldess. a 1300 Cursor M. 22030 [Anticrist] sal be born..of bismer brem and bald And geten of a glotun scald [Gött. of glotun and skald] Þat þar may be na fuler tuin. Ibid. 29342 Womman commun and alsua scald, Alle ar suilk for cursd tald. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 69 He was of his tong a skalde, And for to boste was he ful balde. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xiii. 596 Lett bren this bawde and bind her fast. A fals skawde hang at the last; so shall thou. 1483 Cath. Angl. 322/1 A Scawde, barda, vt supra vbi scalde. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 322 And knaw, kene skald, I hald of Alathya. 1825 Jamieson, Scald, 1. A scold; applied to a person. |
| β c 1275 Prov. ælfred 412 in O.E. Misc. 127 Be þu neuere to bold, to chiden agen oni scold. Ibid. 705 He is cocker, þef, and horeling, scolde, of wrechedome he is king. c 1325 Poem temp. Edw. II (Percy) li, As wel wol a knyȝt chide As eny scold in a toun. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xii. 34 And when scripture þe skolde hadde þus wyt y-sheued, Clergie in-to a caban crepte anon after. 1377 Ibid. B. xix. 279 Ne sholde no scorner ne scolde oute of skyl hym brynge. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 229 A claterer, a ianguler, a flyter, a curser, a swerer, and a skold of hur mowþe. a 1529 Skelton Agst. Venemous Tongues Wks. 1843 I. 132 A sclaunderous tunge, a tunge of a skolde, Worketh more mischiefe than can be tolde. 1565 Child-Marriages 127 She takes her for no schold, nor an vnhonest woman. 1577 Harrison England iii. vi. 108/1 Scoldes are ducked vpon cuckingstooles in the water. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. (1598) 345 Miso interrupted his tale, with rayling at Damætas, with all those exquisite termes, which I was neuer good skold inough to imagine. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. ii. 188, I know she is an irkesome brawling scold. 1611 Bible Ecclus. xxvi. 27 A loude crying woman, and a scolde, shall be sought out to driue away the enemies. 1611 Cotgr., Causeresse, a scowld, a brabling woman. 1640 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. iv. 433 For leading scoldes bridled along the Town at Mr. Bayliffes commaund, 6d. 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. iii. xxiii. 218 Fame hath much of the scold in her; the best way to silence her is to be silent. 1713 Shaftesbury Judgm. Hercules iii. Charac. (1723) III. 368 The Painter..will doubtless beware of representing his Heroine as a mere Scold. 1782 H. Cowley Bold Stroke for Husband i. ii, Every body supposes my lady an arrant scold. 1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. xxiii. (1907) II. 206 The Prior was one of the many instances of a youthful sinner metamorphosed into an old scold. 1842 Mrs. Gore Fascination 15 ‘If you only manage to drink the wine I send to fetch for you,’ said the scold of a wife, ‘you won't be much the worse for it.’ 1863 P. Barry Dockyard Econ. 67 Too often he is under the dominion of a forbidding scold, who, in addition to her other bad qualities, is slovenly and unthrifty. |
| γ 1569 scolle, 1572 skol [see scold-cart, below]. 1570 Levins Manip. 43/45 A Scaule, rixosa mulier. Ibid. 218/15 A Scoule. 1718 Ramsay Christ's Kirk Gr. iii. xvi, Ye's thole for this, ye scaul. 1785 Burns Addr. Deil xviii, His ill-tongu'd, wicked Scawl [sc. Job's wife]. |
b. common scold: a woman who disturbs the peace of the neighbourhood by her constant scolding.
| 1467 Crt. Rolls Maldon, Essex (Bundle 43 no. 1), Eadem Katerina est communis scolde. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 500 Lyke a common skold in a Cage. 1769 Blackstone Comm. iv. xiii. 169 A common scold, communis rixatrix, (for our law-latin confines it to the feminine gender,) is a public nusance to her neighbourhood. 1858 J. P. Bishop Comm. Crim. Law II. §147 A common scold is one, who, by the practice of frequent scolding, disturbs the repose of the neighborhood. |
c. Comb.: scold's bit, bridle = branks1 1; † scold-cart, a cart used for the public exposure of common scolds.
| 1569 Nottingham Rec. IV. 135 Mendyng of the scolle kart. 1572 Ibid. IV. 145 Mendyng the skolcart. 1604 Ibid. IV. 265 Wee desire we may haue a scould carte for scoulds, and to carye criples in. 1858, 1869 Scold's bridle [see branks1 1]. 1884 Chr. World 4 Sept. 661/5 Then came Walton, where the famous scold's bit is preserved in the church. |
2. [From the verb.] An act of scolding; a scolding rebuke. ? Obs. exc. Sc.
| α 1773 Fergusson Farmer's Ingle 54 The waefu' scald o' our Mess-John to bide. 1831 R. Shennan Tales, Songs, etc. 65 (E.D.D.) Whiles they got a skelp or scauld. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb iv. 33 Aw doot Gushetneuk cam' in for a bit scaad yon'er. |
| β 1726 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess Mar Apr. (1893) I. 495 Mamma and I were in an actual scold when my poor father expired. a 1774 Goldsm. tr. Scarron's Com. Romance (1775) II. 133 The Lady Abbess had already put him in an ill humour by the scold she gave him for overturning her. 1778 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 31 Oct., To-day Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Desmoulins had a scold. 1807 Williams Let. to Parr 28 Dec. in Parr's Wks. (1828) VIII. 293, I should not have been so long in answering your sharp scold and soothing invitation had I not [etc.]. 1847 Mrs. Carlyle Let. Dec. in New Lett. (1903) I. 237, I have not had to transact one scold since this girl came to me. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. (1858) 91 His scold died out good naturedly enough in the end, and I saw him laugh as he turned away. 1891 ‘L. Keith’ My Bonnie Lady ix. 93 Now that I have given you your scolds we'll say no more about it. |
▪ II. scold, v.
(skəʊld)
Forms: α. 4–6 scolde, 5 scoolde, 5–6 skolde, 6 scoulde, skowlde, scowde, skoolde, 6–7 scould, 7 scowlde, (9 dial. scoud), 6– scold. β. north. and dial. 6 scaule, scoule, 9 scall. γ. Sc. 8 scald, scauld.
[f. scold n.
Notwithstanding the close resemblance in form and meaning with the WGer. str. vb. OFris. skelda, OS. sceldan (in a gloss), Du., MLG. schelden, OHG. sceltan (MHG., mod.G. schelten), there appears to be no etymological connexion.]
1. intr. † a. Originally, to behave as a scold; to quarrel noisily, to brawl; to rail at or wrangle with some one; to use violent or unseemly language in vituperation; said chiefly of women. Obs. b. Now with milder sense (partly as absol. use of sense 3): To use undignifed vehemence or persistence in reproof or fault-finding; colloq. often merely, to utter continuous reproof.
| α 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ii. 81 To scorne and to scolde sclaundere to make. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. xiii. (1495) 197 Noo man hath more woo than he that hath an euyll wyfe, cryenge and janglynge, chydynge and skoldynge. 1526 Tindale N.T. Prol. A ij b, Lest we..fall from meke lernynge into ydle despiciouns, braulinge and scoldynge aboute wordes. 1530 Palsgr. 706/2, I scoulde, as a man or woman dothe that chyde, je tence... They scolde togyther lyke two women. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 160 b, Every day almost they would bryng them furth openly and scolde and chyde with them, and make them beleve that they woulde hang them if they were not payed. 1584 in D. Fenner Def. Ministers (1587) 43 Let him goe home and skoolde with his wife. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 177 Mark'd you not how hir sister Began to scold, and raise vp such a storme, That mortal eares might hardly indure the din. 1607 ― Cor. v. vi. 106 Pardon me Lords, 'tis the first time that euer I was forc'd to scoul'd. c 1618 Moryson Itin. iv. (1903) 239 Some runn out to braule and scowlde like women with the next enemyes. 1673 Wood Life (O.H.S.) II. 265, I told her I came to be merry and not to be scolded at. 1675 Alsop Anti-Sozzo iii. ii. 193 Therefore go scold with the Apostle: that which will bring him off will bring off the Doctor. 1713 Swift Cadenus & Vanessa 287 For Gods, we are by Homer told, Can in Celestial Language scold. 1722 De Foe Col. Jack vii, I scolded heartily at him when he came back. 1764 Wesley Jrnl. 21 June, A woman had ‘scolded with her neighbour’. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 24 Apr. (1815) 37 He might harp as long as he pleased upon her scolding; but she never scolded, except for his advantage. 1822 A. Cunningham Tradit. Tales, Death of Laird of Warlsworm (1887) 273 All women love to be married, were it only for the sake of having somebody to scold at. 1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. ii. iii, I have no doubt that Lady Frances will, at first, look grave, and even perhaps scold, but it will wear off. 1847 C. Brontë J. Eyre iv, I just put my two arms round her, and said, ‘Come, Bessie! don't scold.’ |
| β 1570 Levins Manip. 44/2 To Scaule, rixari. Ibid. 218/24 To Scoule. 1820 J. Johnstone Poems 127 (E.D.D.) I'm sure that ye a' got a part o't, And needna scall oft sae at me. |
2. quasi-trans. with complementary adj., adv., or phrase expressing the result of scolding. Also † to scold it out: to continue wrangling to the end.
| c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon xiii. 48 Stand on thy guard, I cannot scold it out. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, v. i. 173 Lady. An hundred Marks? By this light, Ile ha more... I will haue more, or scold it out of him. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1655) IV. vii. 18 She had scolded her Husband one day out of doores. 1650 B. Discolliminium 10 Meer morall prudence might suffer wise men to stand still.., and such shallow heads as I am, to scould themselves quiet. 1754 Warburton View Bolingbr. Philos. i. 34 My Master is not a man to be scratched and scolded out of his Kingdom. 1783 Cowper Let. 17 June, No man was ever scolded out of his sins. 1887 R. N. Carey Uncle Max v. 42, I scolded back the foolish thoughts, and felt ashamed of myself for entertaining them. |
3. trans. To address (esp. an inferior or a child) with continuous and more or less angry reproach; to chide.
This construction is prob. of late introduction from northern dialects. Johnson does not mention it in his Dictionary (1755), though Boswell reports him as having used it orally in 1763. In the 19th c. the use was still colloquial rather than literary, and its associations were somewhat undignified; but it is now quite free from the discreditable implications which the intransitive use (sense 1) has not yet wholly lost.
| 1715 Ramsay Christ's Kirk Gr. ii. xxiii, Auld nick Should tempt their wifes to scald Them for't. 1763 Johnson in Boswell (1831) I. 418 You may scold a carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you cannot make a table. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 2 June (1815) 120 She has left off scolding the servants. 1781 Cowper On Madan's Answ. Newton 12 But the strife is the strangest that ever was known, If a man must be scolded for loving his own [wife]. 1832 Lytton Eugene A. i. v, Well, Walter, I feel, for the first time these ten years, that I have a right to scold you. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair lxi, She scolds the servants from morning till night. 1865 Livingstone Zambesi xix. 398 The headman scolded the fellow for his meanness. 1889 Mrs. Oliphant Poor Gentl. xlii. III. 173 She scolded Anne,..but so softly that Anne fell asleep in the middle of the little lecture. |