esculcar

Etymology

From esculca (“observation, inquiry”), from local High Middle Ages Medieval Latin sculca (“watchtower”), from Proto-Germanic *skulkan. Cognate of English skulk (“to hide”) and of Norwegian Nynorsk skulke (“to play truant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eskulˈkaɾ/

Verb

esculcar (first-person singular present esculco, first-person singular preterite esculquei, past participle esculcado)

1. (transitive) to watch, to observe, to spy
   • 1370, Ramón Lorenzo (ed.), Crónica troiana, page 235:

     Et coydou que era esculca que vĩjña esculcar sua terra, ca Peleus ben sabía que entre elles et troyãos auj́a grã desamor.

     And he thought that he was a spy which has come to investigate their country, because Peleus knew well that in between them and the Trojans there was a large enmity

2. (intransitive) to inquiry, to research

References

• “esculcar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006-2012.
• “esculcar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
• “esculcar” in Santamarina, Antón (coord.): Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
• Coromines, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1991–1997). Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico. Madrid: Gredos, s.v. esculca.