Where does “comptroller” come from?
Comptroller comes from Middle English compteroller, via Middle English countreroller and Middle French contreroleur, ultimately from Latin contrarotulum, combining Latin contra meaning "against" with Latin rota meaning "wheel" or "roll."
comptroller (English): The chief accountant of a company or government
Definitions
- The chief accountant of a company or government
Ancestry of “comptroller”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | compteroller | — |
| 2 | Middle English | countreroller | — |
| 3 | Middle French | contreroleur | account-keeper; one who keeps a register, and... |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | contreroulour | register-keeper |
| 5 | Old French | contreroler | — |
| 6 | Old French | contrerole | — |
| 7 | Medieval Latin | contrarotulum | a counter-roll or register used to verify... |
| 8 | Medieval Latin | rotulus | a roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a... |
| 9 | Latin | rotula | a small wheel; roll |
| 10 | Arabic | رَطْل | — |
| 11 | Classical Syriac | ܪܝܛܠܐ | — |
| 12 | Classical Syriac | ܠܝܛܪܐ | libra, pound |
| 13 | French | litre | litre |
| 14 | Medieval Latin | litra | — |
| 15 | Ancient Greek | λίτρα | litra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of... |
| 16 | Proto-Italic | *līðrā | ingot |