Where does “cupboard” come from?
Cupboard comes from Middle English cuppeborde, a compound of Middle English cuppe and bord, the latter derived from Old French bourde, which combines Latin cupa with Proto-Indo-European keup- and bʰer-.
cupboard (English): A board or table used to openly hold and display...
Definitions
- A board or table used to openly hold and display...
Ancestry of “cupboard”, step by step
cupboard traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English board
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | board | A relatively long, wide and thin piece of any... |
| 2 | English | boardrider | surfer |
| 3 | English | rider | One who rides, often on a horse or a motorcycle;... |
| 4 | Middle English | ridere | Alternative form of ryder |
| 5 | Middle English | ryder | A rider or equestrian; one who rides a horse; A... |
| 6 | Old English | rīdere | rider, knight |
| 7 | Old English | rīdan | to ride |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | rīdan | to ride |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | rīdaną | to ride |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | rēydʰ- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |
via English Cup
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Cup | A win of a championship that is awarded a cup; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | cuppe | cup |
| 3 | Old English | cuppe | cup |
| 4 | Late Latin | cuppa | drinking vessel; barrel, cask; axle |
| 5 | Latin | cūpa | tub, cask, tun, vat |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κώπη | a handle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kóh₂p-eh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |
via Middle English cuppeborde
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cuppeborde | sideboard |