Where does “pier” come from?
Pier comes from Middle English pere, from Old French per, from Latin pirum, originally meaning a pear fruit, later extended to a structure resembling a pear's shape.
pier (English): A raised platform built from the shore out over...
Definitions
- A raised platform built from the shore out over...
Ancestry of “pier”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pere | A pear; A thing of little import or worth; A... |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | pera | bag, satchel; wallet; scrip |
| 3 | Old Northern French | pire | — |
| 4 | Latin | petricus | — |
| 5 | Latin | petra | stone, rock |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πέτρα | rock formation: cliff, ledge, cave, ridge; stone |
Words derived from “pier”