Where does “castellan” come from?
Castellan derives from Old French castelain, from Latin castellanus, from Latin castellum, from Latin castrum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots kat- and ḱes-.
castellan (English): The governor or caretaker of a castle or keep
Definitions
- The governor or caretaker of a castle or keep
Ancestry of “castellan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | castelain | — |
| 2 | Latin | castellānus | of or pertaining to a fort or castle |
| 3 | Latin | castella | nominative plural of castellum; accusative plural... |
| 4 | Latin | castellum | castle, fort, citadel, fortress, stronghold; a... |
| 5 | Latin | castrum | castle, fort, fortress; camp, especially a... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kastrom | knife |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱos-tróm | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱes- | to cut off, separate; to cut up, to slaughter; to... |