Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “impalement” come from?

impalement (English) comes from English empalement, from English empale, from English pale, from Middle English pale, from Old French pal, from Latin pālus, from Proto-Italic pākslos, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ-slos — to attach.

impalement (English): The act of torturing or executing someone by...

Definitions

  1. The act of torturing or executing someone by...

Ancestry of “impalement”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishempalementObsolete form of impalement
2EnglishempaleObsolete form of impale; To make pale
3EnglishpaleLight in color; Having a pallor; Feeble, faint
4Middle Englishpale—
5Old Frenchpal—
6Latinpālus—
7Proto-Italicpākslos—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-slos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-to attach

Words derived from “impalement”

  • empalement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- →