Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “forecourt” come from?

Forecourt comes from Middle English fore- combined with court, which derives from Latin cohors meaning an enclosed yard or retinue, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root per- meaning to lead or pass through.

forecourt (English): The area in front of a petrol station where the...

Definitions

  1. The area in front of a petrol station where the...

Ancestry of “forecourt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcourtAn enclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area...
2Middle Englishcourtcourt
3Old Frenchcortcourt
4Latincōrs—
5Latincohorsa court; a farmyard or enclosure; a retinue or...
6Latinco-allomorph of con-
7Latincōn-—
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
19Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
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