Where does “bank” come from?
bank (Danish) comes from French banque, from Italian banco, from Old High German bank, from Proto-West Germanic banki, from Proto-Germanic bankiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- — to break.
bank (Danish): bank; only used in certain expressions; knock
Definitions
- bank; only used in certain expressions; knock
Ancestry of “bank”, step by step
bank traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French banque
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | banque | bank |
| 2 | Italian | banco | desk; counter; bench, table |
| 3 | Old High German | bank | bench |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | banki | bench |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bankiz | a raised surface; bulge; hillock; slope; bench |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeg- | to break |
via German bank
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | bank | bench which people sit on; pew |