scorbut

borrowed from medieval Latin scorbutus, probably created on the basis of a Middle Dutch '*scôrbut', scuerbuyck (1557), which can be assumed from the Middle Low German schorbuk (from 1404); the latter was borrowed from Old Swedish skörbjug (Old Norse skyr-bjúr: skyr = 'curdled milk' and bjúr = 'edema'). During their long voyages at sea, the ancient Norsemen often carried provisions of curdled milk; the consumption of large quantities of it was thought to easily create edemas. The original meaning of the word was therefore 'edema due to the consumption of large quantities of curdled milk'. The same origin is found in German scharbock, Dutch scheurbuik, English scurvy, Russian xx, skrobota.