Neither the "s" nor the "c" in the word "scent" is silent. They work together as a digraph to create the /s/ sound. The word "scent" comes from the Old French word "sentir," which means "to feel, perceive or smell," and was shortened to "sent" in English. The word became "scent" in the 17th century, and scholars believe that the "c" may have been borrowed from the Middle English words "ascend" and "descend" or from the increasing influence of the word "science" in 1600s Europe. The "c" is silent when preceded by an "s" followed by an e or an i at the beginning of a word, but this is not the case in the word "scent".