scalded
UK[ˈskɔːldɪd]US[ˈskɑːldɪd]
adj
(of skin or tissue) injured by very hot liquid or steam.
verb (past tense, past participle)
To burn (skin or tissue) with very hot liquid or steam.
Morpheme Breakdown
scald
ed
scald
to dry out
ed
Etymology
The verb 'scald' entered Middle English from Old Norse skalda, a term specifically for burning with hot liquid. Its deeper origins are obscure but may connect to a Proto-Germanic root related to drying or parching, conceptually linking the removal of moisture by heat. The '-ed' suffix is the standard Germanic marker for forming the past tense and past participle, inherited from Old English. Thus, 'scalded' literally means "having undergone the action of burning with hot liquid," a meaning that has remained remarkably consistent from its medieval use to its modern medical and culinary contexts.
Analysis
Structure: scald + ed
- scald: From Old Norse skalda (to scald), of uncertain ultimate origin, possibly related to a root meaning "to dry out" or "to parch." It functions as the verb root meaning "to burn with hot liquid."
- ed: From Old English -ed, -od, -ad, a suffix forming the past tense and past participle of weak verbs. It functions as a grammatical inflection marker.
Examples
The child cried out with pain from his scalded hand.
She scalded the milk before adding it to the recipe.
The scalded skin required immediate medical attention.