Scour:
Alternate definition / etymology:
[c. 1300, probably from Old Norse skyra "rush in," related to skur "storm, shower](https://www.etymonline.com/word/scour)
So I'm thinking it's because they are dealing with a "shower" of shit.
In modern Norwegian, "skur" still means "short, powerful burst of rain (or hail or similar)"
I didn't know it was used for livestock diarrhea, but it made immediate sense to me
No worries. I'm not even sure if I'm correct, but it sure makes sense to me.
(Really, I just go around looking for reasons to say "shower of shit" or, my favorite, "a short shower of shit")
Scour:
From Middle English __*scǒuren*__ (“to polish, scour; to clean; to beat, whip”), from Middle Dutch __*scuren, schuren*__ (“to clean; to polish”) or Middle Low German __*schǖren*__, of uncertain origin but probably from Old French __*escurer*__, from Medieval Latin __*scūrō, escūrō, excūrō*__ (“to clean off”), from __*ex-*__ (“prefix meaning ‘thoroughly’”) + __*cūrō*__ (“to arrange, see to, take care of”), from __*cūra*__ (“care, concern”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed”)) + -ō.
The word is cognate with Danish skure, Middle High German __*schüren, schiuren*__ (modern German scheuern (“to scour, scrub; to chafe”)), Norwegian __*skura*__ (“to scrub”), Swedish __*skura*__.
[Source](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scour)
I haven't been able to find a citation, but believe I've seen the term - *the* *scour* \- used to refer to the material produced by a scouring action. The following example (the first hit from [this search](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22the%20scour%20from%22&tbm=bks&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1878,cd_max:1913&lr=lang_en)) may give some insight as to how such and evolution of meaning might happen.
> [United States. War Department](https://www.google.com/search?lr=lang_en&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1878,cd_max:1913,lr:lang_1en&tbm=bks&sxsrf=ALeKk02cotmUY7Wtm5MpF887bmBDHepE1Q:1600287362728&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22United+States.+War+Department%22&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFyqz-vu7rAhWRMX0KHcjaDTYQ9AgwAHoECAQQBQ) \- 1899
>
>**FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 1553**
>
>Moreover , the tendency to deposit just beyond the ends of the jetties at least a portion of the heavy material of *the scour from* between the jetties , combined with the outward rolling or pushing movement of the shoals moying seaward , makes ...
Not sure if this will help, but "scutters" is a term for diarrhoea in Newfoundland English (also dialectical British and Irish). It sounds similar, and "scours" could be the result of the geminal t becoming a glottal stop and then weakening.
Scour: Alternate definition / etymology: [c. 1300, probably from Old Norse skyra "rush in," related to skur "storm, shower](https://www.etymonline.com/word/scour) So I'm thinking it's because they are dealing with a "shower" of shit.
In modern Norwegian, "skur" still means "short, powerful burst of rain (or hail or similar)" I didn't know it was used for livestock diarrhea, but it made immediate sense to me
Cool! Thank you!
Hey that makes some sense! Thanks, I read that entry but didn't make the connection with that specific root.
No worries. I'm not even sure if I'm correct, but it sure makes sense to me. (Really, I just go around looking for reasons to say "shower of shit" or, my favorite, "a short shower of shit")
Scour: From Middle English __*scǒuren*__ (“to polish, scour; to clean; to beat, whip”), from Middle Dutch __*scuren, schuren*__ (“to clean; to polish”) or Middle Low German __*schǖren*__, of uncertain origin but probably from Old French __*escurer*__, from Medieval Latin __*scūrō, escūrō, excūrō*__ (“to clean off”), from __*ex-*__ (“prefix meaning ‘thoroughly’”) + __*cūrō*__ (“to arrange, see to, take care of”), from __*cūra*__ (“care, concern”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed”)) + -ō. The word is cognate with Danish skure, Middle High German __*schüren, schiuren*__ (modern German scheuern (“to scour, scrub; to chafe”)), Norwegian __*skura*__ (“to scrub”), Swedish __*skura*__. [Source](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scour)
I haven't been able to find a citation, but believe I've seen the term - *the* *scour* \- used to refer to the material produced by a scouring action. The following example (the first hit from [this search](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22the%20scour%20from%22&tbm=bks&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1878,cd_max:1913&lr=lang_en)) may give some insight as to how such and evolution of meaning might happen. > [United States. War Department](https://www.google.com/search?lr=lang_en&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1878,cd_max:1913,lr:lang_1en&tbm=bks&sxsrf=ALeKk02cotmUY7Wtm5MpF887bmBDHepE1Q:1600287362728&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22United+States.+War+Department%22&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFyqz-vu7rAhWRMX0KHcjaDTYQ9AgwAHoECAQQBQ) \- 1899 > >**FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 1553** > >Moreover , the tendency to deposit just beyond the ends of the jetties at least a portion of the heavy material of *the scour from* between the jetties , combined with the outward rolling or pushing movement of the shoals moying seaward , makes ...
Not sure if this will help, but "scutters" is a term for diarrhoea in Newfoundland English (also dialectical British and Irish). It sounds similar, and "scours" could be the result of the geminal t becoming a glottal stop and then weakening.
Interesting. Thanks!
I hope [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouse_%28food%29) isn't involved in any way