Where does “escalate” come from?
Escalate derives from French escalade, from Italian scalata (climbing), from Italian scalare (to climb), from Italian scala (ladder), from Latin scala.
escalate (English): To increase in extent or intensity; to intensify...
Definitions
- To increase in extent or intensity; to intensify...
Ancestry of “escalate”, step by step
escalate traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French escalade
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | escalade | climbing; escalation; first-person singular... |
| 2 | Italian | scalata | scaling, climbing; climb; feminine singular of... |
| 3 | Italian | scalare | To climb or scale; To pay off a debt in... |
| 4 | Italian | scala | ladder; stair; scale |
| 5 | Byzantine Greek | σκάλα | — |
| 6 | Latin | scāla | ladder |
| 7 | Latin | scandere | third-person plural perfect active indicative of... |
| 8 | Latin | scandō | to climb, ascend, mount |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱend- | to jump up, ascend |