Where does “mortarboard” come from?
mortarboard (English) comes from English board, from English boardrider, from English rider, from Middle English ridere, from Middle English ryder, from Old English rīdere, from Old English rīdan, from Proto-West Germanic rīdan — to fit, to fix, to put together.
mortarboard (English): A square board, with a handle, on which mortar or...
Definitions
- A square board, with a handle, on which mortar or...
Ancestry of “mortarboard”, step by step
mortarboard traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English board
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | board | A relatively long, wide and thin piece of any... |
| 2 | English | boardrider | surfer |
| 3 | English | rider | One who rides, often on a horse or a motorcycle;... |
| 4 | Middle English | ridere | Alternative form of ryder |
| 5 | Middle English | ryder | A rider or equestrian; one who rides a horse; A... |
| 6 | Old English | rīdere | rider, knight |
| 7 | Old English | rīdan | to ride |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | rīdan | to ride |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | rīdaną | to ride |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | rēydʰ- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |
via English mortar
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mortar | A mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used... |
| 2 | Middle English | morter | A mortar; Grout or mortar; A bowl with fuel... |
| 3 | Old French | mortier | — |
| 4 | Latin | mortarium | mortar; large basin in which mortar is made |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mer- | to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland |