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
gravestone traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English grave
| 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 | gravel |
| 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 |
via English Stone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Stone | for someone who lived near a stone worked with stone, from |
| 2 | Middle English | ston | Alternative form of stone |
| 3 | Old English | stān | stone, rock |
| 4 | Old Norse | Veggr | name of a dwarf |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wajjuz | wall |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wh̥₁yús | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weh₁y- | to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,... |
via Middle English graveston
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | graveston | Alternative form of gravestone |