Scurvies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A derogatory term denoting someone deemed morally or socially unacceptable
2. A word describing the condition of having a tendency towards being rude, ungracious, or contemptible
3. Referring to behaviors or attitudes associated with a lack of decency or respectability

Etymology: The plural "scurvies" is a plain inflection of "scurvy" in its sense of contemptible, shabby behavior, and it adds little beyond the noun it pluralizes. The more interesting story is the disease. The noun "scurvy" was made from the adjective, which had been formed in Late Middle English from "scurf", a word for scabby skin and flaking scales, plus the suffix "-y" meaning "having the quality of". So the original sense was simply "scabby" or "scurfy", and the medical name for the sailors' disease grew out of that skin condition. The noun was then used to translate similar-sounding terms in other languages, including Dutch "scheurbuik", French "scorbut" and Middle Low German "schorbūk", all meaning the disease. The moral sense of "scurvy" as a worthless or despicable person, which the plural here reflects, developed from that same root in English. The disease name is the older and more literal layer beneath it.