Where does “cajole” come from?
Cajole comes from Middle French cageoler, from French cajoler, meaning to coax or persuade with flattery.
cajole (English): To persuade someone to do something which they...
Definitions
- To persuade someone to do something which they...
Ancestry of “cajole”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | cajoler | to cuddle, to cradle in one's arms; to flatter,... |
| 2 | Old French | gaioler | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | gabiola | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | caveola | — |
| 5 | Latin | cavea | hollow, cavity; cage, den, enclosure, stall,... |
| 6 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |