Origin: 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English s(c)laundre < Anglo-French esclaundre,Old French esclandre, alteration of escandle < Late Latin scandalum cause of offense, snare (see scandal); (v.) Middle English s(c)laundren to cause to lapse morally, bring to disgrace, discredit, defame < Old French esclandrer, derivative of esclandre
late 13c., from Anglo-Fr. esclaundre, O.Fr. esclandre "scandalous statement," alteration of escandle "scandal," from L. scandalum "cause of offense, stumbling block, temptation" (see scandal). The verb is attested from c.1300, from O.Fr. esclandrer, from esclandre.