Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bastille” come from?

bastille (English) comes from French bastille, from Medieval Latin bastilia, from Latin bastile, from Medieval Latin bastio, from Frankish bastijan — to sew, weave; to weave, plait, sew; to plait,...

bastille (English): A castle tower, or fortified building; a small...

Definitions

  1. A castle tower, or fortified building; a small...

Ancestry of “bastille”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchbastillefortress
2Medieval Latinbastilia—
3Latinbastile—
4Medieval Latinbastioto build, construct; to weave, sew; to build,...
5Frankishbastijanto sew, weave; to weave, plait, sew; to plait,...
Every word from Frankish bastijan →