1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Scuttle

SCUTTLE, a term formerly applied to a broad flat dish or platter; it represents the O. Eng. scutel, cognate with Ger. Schüssel, dish, derived from Lat. scutella, a square salver or tray, dim. of scutra, a platter, probably allied to scutum, the large oblong shield, as distinguished from the clypeus, the small round shield. The name survives in the coal-scuttle, styled “purdonium” in English auctioneers' catalogues, which now assumes various forms. “Scuttle” in this sense must be distinguished from the word meaning a small opening in the deck or side of a ship, either forming a hatchway or cut through the covering of the hatchway; from which to “scuttle” a ship means to cut a hole in the bottom so that she sinks. This word is an adaptation of O. Fr. escoutille, mod. écoutille, from Span. escotilla, dim. of escoti, a sloping cut in a garment about the neck. The Spanish word is cognate with Du. school, Ger. Schoss, lap, bosom, properly the flap or projecting edge of a garment about the neck, O. Eng. sceat, whence “ sheet.” The colloquial “scuttle,” in the sense of hurrying away, is another form of “scuddle,” frequentative of “scud,” to run, which, like its variant “scoot,” is another form of “shoot.”