Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mortise” come from?

Mortise comes from Middle English morteys, from Old French mortaise, from Arabic mūrtāz, ultimately from Arabic rāz.

mortise (English): A hole that is made to receive a tenon so as to...

Definitions

  1. A hole that is made to receive a tenon so as to...

Ancestry of “mortise”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishmorteysA orifice, hole, or hollow; A mortise
2Old Frenchmortaise—
3Arabicمورتازfastened
4Arabicرازto cut a recess
Every word from Arabic راز →