Where does “gravestone” come from?
Gravestone comes from Middle English graveston, combining Middle English grave and Middle English stone, where stone derives from Old English stān, Proto-Germanic grabą, and Proto-Indo-European gʰrābʰ- and steh₂-, the latter meaning to stand or be firm.
gravestone (English): A stone slab set at the head of a grave
Definitions
- A stone slab set at the head of a grave
Ancestry of “gravestone”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | grave | An excavation in the earth as a place of burial;... |
| 2 | French | gravier | gravel; crushed rocks between 5 and 40 mm in... |
| 3 | Old French | gravé | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | grava | — |
| 5 | Gaulish | grawa | — |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | grāwā | gravel, pebbles |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰroh₁weh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰreh₁w- | to grind |
Words derived from “gravestone”