Where does “bankruptcy” come from?
Bankruptcy derives from English bankrupt, which comes from Italian banca meaning "bench or moneychanger's counter," ultimately from Old High German bank.
bankruptcy (English): A legally declared or recognized condition of...
Definitions
- A legally declared or recognized condition of...
Ancestry of “bankruptcy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bankrupt | In a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay one's... |
| 2 | Italian | bancarotta | bankruptcy |
| 3 | Italian | rotta | feminine singular of rotto; rout, defeat; course,... |
| 4 | Italian | rompere | to break; to screw with, to be a pain in the ass |
| 5 | Latin | rumpō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrunépti | to be breaking |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrewp- | to break, tear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrew- | to tear out, dig out, open, acquire |
Words derived from “bankruptcy”