Where does “cavern” come from?
Cavern comes from Middle English caverne, from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna, derived from the Latin adjective cavus meaning hollow, which traces to Proto-Indo-European ḱewh₁-.
cavern (English): A large cave; An underground chamber; To form a...
Definitions
- A large cave; An underground chamber; To form a...
Ancestry of “cavern”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | caverne | cavern, cave |
| 2 | Middle French | caverne | cavern |
| 3 | Old French | caverne | — |
| 4 | Latin | caverna | cave, cavern, grotto; vault, chamber, cleft; hold |
| 5 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |