Where does “capstone” come from?

Capstone comes from Middle English capston, combining Middle English cappe (a head covering or top) and Middle English stone from Old English stān, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- meaning to stand or be placed.

capstone (English): Any of the stones making up the top layer of a...

Definitions

  1. Any of the stones making up the top layer of a...

Ancestry of “capstone”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcapstoncapstone
2Middle EnglishstonAlternative form of stone
3Old Englishstānstone, rock
4Old NorseVeggrname of a dwarf
5Proto-Germanicwajjuzwall
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwh̥₁yús—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweh₁y-to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weh₁y- →