Where does “cage” come from?
Cage comes from Middle English cage, from Old French cage, from Latin cavea meaning hollow place or cavity, derived from Latin cavus meaning hollow, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁- meaning to swell or hollow out.
cage (English): An enclosure made of bars, normally to hold...
Definitions
- An enclosure made of bars, normally to hold...
Ancestry of “cage”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cage | A cage or pen; A cell, enclosure or room of... |
| 2 | Old French | cage | — |
| 3 | Latin | cavea | hollow, cavity; cage, den, enclosure, stall,... |
| 4 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |