Where does “hatchet” come from?

Hatchet comes from Middle English hachet, from Old French hachete, diminutive of Old French hache, from Frankish happja, from Proto-Germanic hapjō, from Proto-Indo-European kop-.

hatchet (English): A small light axe with a short handle; a...

Definitions

  1. A small light axe with a short handle; a...

Ancestry of “hatchet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhachetA hatchet; a light axe or a tomahawk; A war axe
2Old Frenchhachetehatchet
3Old Frenchhacheaxe
4Vulgar Latin*happia—
5Frankishhappjaaxe, hatchet
6Proto-Germanic*hapjǭ—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankop-to dig; to strike, to beat

Words derived from “hatchet”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kop- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *hapjǭ →Every word from Frankish happja →