Where does “guillotine” come from?
Guillotine comes from French guillotine, derived from French guillotiner, which is based on the name Guillaume with the Latin suffix -are.
guillotine (English): A machine used for the application of capital...
Definitions
- A machine used for the application of capital...
Ancestry of “guillotine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | guillotine | guillotine; first-person singular present... |
| 2 | French | Guillotin | Guillotin |
| 3 | French | Guillot | — |
| 4 | French | Guillaume | William |
| 5 | Old French | Guillaume | — |
| 6 | Frankish | Willahelm | William |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | Wiljahelmaz | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |