'scampi' originates from Italian, specifically the plural of 'scampo', where 'scampo' referred to a kind of prawn or langoustine.

'scampi' entered English from Italian usage (plural 'scampi' of 'scampo'); the Italian term itself was used in regional dialects for langoustine-like crustaceans and was adopted into English culinary language in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Initially, it referred primarily to the crustacean itself; over time English usage broadened to include the prepared dish (often garlic-butter prawns) and a mass/collective noun for the food.