Where does “pilcrow” come from?
pilcrow (English) comes from Middle English pylcrafte, from Late Latin paragraphus, from Ancient Greek παράγραφος, from Ancient Greek γράφω, from Proto-Hellenic grəpʰō, from Proto-Indo-European gerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...
pilcrow (English): The paragraph mark ¶
Definitions
- The paragraph mark ¶
Ancestry of “pilcrow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pylcrafte | — |
| 2 | Late Latin | paragraphus | paragraph |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | παράγραφος | short stroke in the margin marking a break in... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | γράφω | to scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | grəpʰō | to scratch, cut or carve into |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gerbʰ- | to carve |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |