This Middle English adjective describes strange things or situations, specifically those that seem marvelous, rather than just odd. It comes from the Old English “seldcūth,” which combines “seldan,” meaning “seldom,” and “cūth,” meaning “familiar.” “Selcouth” shares a root with the adjective “couth,” meaning “sophisticated, polished,” and “couth” is a backformation of “uncouth.” The original, obsolete meaning of “uncouth” was similar to that of “selcouth” — it meant “not known” or “uncommon, rare.” “Uncouth” later evolved into its modern usage of “awkward and socially unacceptable in appearance, manner, or behavior.”