From Old French escafaut 'platform,' probably from Vulgar Latin *catafalicum, a word for a temporary wooden structure that branched into both construction scaffolding and the execution scaffold.
A temporary framework of poles and planks used to support workers and materials during the construction or repair of a building.
From Old North French escafaut 'a platform or stage,' probably from Vulgar Latin *catafalicum, of uncertain further origin — possibly a blend of Latin cata- 'alongside' (from Greek kata) and fala 'siege tower, wooden scaffolding.' The Old French form was borrowed into English as scaffold in the 14th century, with scaffolding (the -ing suffix denoting the structure collectively) following. Key roots: kata- (Greek