Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coastguard” come from?

Coastguard is a compound of coast, from Middle English cooste, Old French coste, Latin costa meaning rib or side, and Proto-Indo-European kost-, combined with guard.

coastguard (English): Alternative spelling of coast guard

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of coast guard

Ancestry of “coastguard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishguardA person who, or thing that, protects or watches...
2Middle Englishgardeguardianship, safeguarding, covering, authority;...
3Old Frenchguardeprotection; act of protecting; guard; inflection...
4Old Frenchguarderto protect; to guard; to look at
5Frankishwardēnto protect; to guard, protect, watch over; to...
6Proto-Germanicwardānąto guard, protect, watch over
7Proto-Germanic*warduz—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “coastguard”

  • coastguardsman
  • coastguardman
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →