Where does “chateau” come from?
Château comes from Middle French chasteau, from Latin castellum meaning "small fort," derived from castrum meaning "fort or camp," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to cut" or "fortified place."
chateau (English): A French castle, fortress, manor house, or large...
Definitions
- A French castle, fortress, manor house, or large...
Ancestry of “chateau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | château | castle |
| 2 | Middle French | chasteau | castle |
| 3 | Old French | chastel | castle, fortress |
| 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... |