Where does “pilaster” come from?
Pilaster comes from Middle French pilastre, from Italian pilastro, from Italian pila meaning pile or support, from Latin pila, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to drive or push.
pilaster (English): A rectangular column that projects partially from...
Definitions
- A rectangular column that projects partially from...
Ancestry of “pilaster”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | pilastre | pilaster |
| 2 | Middle French | pilastre | — |
| 3 | Italian | pilastro | pillar, column; pilaster; obelisk |
| 4 | Italian | pila | pile; battery; torch / flashlight |
| 5 | Latin | pila | mortar; pillar; pier |
| 6 | Latin | pīlus | a hair |
| 7 | Latin | pīlum | a pounder, pestle |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | pistlom | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pis-tlo- | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | peys- | to grind, to crush |