Where does “basement” come from?
basement (English) comes from Italian basamento, from Spanish basamento, from Spanish basar, from Spanish Base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις, from Proto-Hellenic gʷə́tis, from Proto-Indo-European gʷémtis — to step.
basement (English): A floor of a building below ground level; A mass...
Definitions
- A floor of a building below ground level; A mass...
Ancestry of “basement”, step by step
basement traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Italian basamento
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | basamento | base; bed, base plate; basement |
| 2 | Spanish | basamento | the base of a column or another structure, plinth |
| 3 | Spanish | basar | to base |
| 4 | Spanish | Base | base |
| 5 | Latin | basis | A pedestal, foot, base; basis, foundation; The... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βάσις | step; rhythm; foot |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | gʷə́tis | step |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷémtis | step, act of walking |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷem- | to step |