## Etymology
From Old North French escalder ('to scald'), from Late Latin excaldare ('to wash in hot water'), from ex- ('out, thoroughly') + calidus ('hot').

## AI Etymology
Scald comes from Old North French escalder ('to scald'), from Late Latin excaldare ('to wash in hot water'), from ex- ('out, thoroughly') + calidus ('hot'). The historical chain includes Latin excaldare and Latin calidus. Older glosses in the chain include "to scald", "to wash in hot water", "out, thoroughly", and "hot", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, scald is best read as compound and borrowing, yielding an English verb and noun shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as a verb and noun, with the sense "to burn with hot liquid or steam; an injury so caused". English derivatives include scalding. The result is an English verb and noun whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

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- Health & Medicine

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