Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. A board or table used to openly hold and display...

Ancestry of “cupboard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboardA relatively long, wide and thin piece of any...
2Englishboardridersurfer
3EnglishriderOne who rides, often on a horse or a motorcycle;...
4Middle EnglishridereAlternative form of ryder
5Middle EnglishryderA rider or equestrian; one who rides a horse; A...
6Old Englishrīdererider, knight
7Old Englishrīdanto ride
8Proto-West Germanicrīdanto ride
9Proto-Germanicrīdanąto ride
10Proto-Indo-Europeanrēydʰ-—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂er-to fit, to fix, to put together

Words derived from “cupboard”

  • cupboardlike
  • cupboardful
  • cupboardless
  • cupboardy
  • cupboardwise
  • kabati
  • ikhabethe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- →