Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hit squad” come from?

hit squad (English) comes from English squad, from French escouade, from German Eskadron, from Italian squadra, from Italian squadrare, from Vulgar Latin exquadra, from Latin ex, from Latin commūnicō — whale, sea monster; abyss.

hit squad (English): A squad of assassins; A gang of people who...

Definitions

  1. A squad of assassins; A gang of people who...

Ancestry of “hit squad”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsquadA group of people organized for some common...
2Frenchescouadesquad, squadron
3GermanEskadron—
4Italiansquadraset square, triangle; team, squad, group, side;...
5ItaliansquadrareTo delimit in a square or rectangular shape; to...
6Vulgar Latinexquadra—
7LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
8Latincommūnicō—
9Latincommūnis—
10Old Latincom(m)oinis—
11Proto-Italickommoinis—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
14Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
15Middle Englishkyt—
16Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
17Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
18Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss
Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτος →