Etymology of "Scam" Origin and First Usage

The word scam first appeared in the United States in the early 1960s as slang, particularly in carnival or "carny" circles, meaning "trick, ruse, swindle, cheat"-both as a noun and a verb.

Its exact origin is unknown, and major dictionaries like the Oxford English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary list its etymology as obscure.

Possible Connections and Theories

British Slang "Scamp": Some sources suggest scam may be related to the 19th-century British slang scamp, meaning "cheater" or "swindler." The word scamp itself dates back to the late 18th century, originally referring to a "highway robber" and later to a "rascal" or "mean villain".

Irish "Cam": Another theory links scam to the Irish word cam, meaning "crooked" or "deceitful." This connection is supported by some linguists and is cited as a possible influence, especially considering the Irish-American criminal element in the US.

Danish "Skam": There is also a possibility that scam is related to the Danish word skam, meaning "shame," which would make it a doublet of the English words "shame" and "sham".

Other Folk Etymologies: Additional, less substantiated theories include links to the French escamoter ("to make disappear, to cheat"), the Italian scambiare ("to swap"), and even associations with words like "skim" or "scheme," though there is no strong evidence for these.