Where does “cab” come from?
Cab is an English word derived from Hebrew קב, a unit of measure whose precise meaning is uncertain.
cab (English): A taxi; a taxicab; Compartment at the front of a...
Definitions
- A taxi; a taxicab; Compartment at the front of a...
Ancestry of “cab”, step by step
cab traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English cabriolet
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cabriolet | An automobile with a retractable top; A light... |
| 2 | French | cabriolet | a cabriolet carriage; a convertible car; a... |
| 3 | Italian | cabriola | — |
| 4 | Latin | capreolus | roe deer, roebuck |
| 5 | Latin | caprea | a roe deer; a wild female goat; vocative singular... |
| 6 | Latin | -ea | nominative feminine singular of -eus; nominative... |
| 7 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |
via Spanish caballero
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | caballero | gentleman; cowboy; horseman |
| 2 | Latin | caballārius | horseman, rider |
| 3 | Latin | caballus | horse; nag; pack-horse, jade, hack |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | kaballos | horse |
via Hebrew קב
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hebrew | קב | — |