Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pillion” come from?

Pillion comes from Scottish Gaelic pillean, from Latin pellis meaning skin or hide, from Ancient Greek πέλλα, from Proto-Indo-European pels-.

pillion (English): A pad behind the saddle of a horse for a second...

Definitions

  1. A pad behind the saddle of a horse for a second...

Ancestry of “pillion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scottish Gaelicpilleancushion; pack-saddle; cloth put under a pannel,...
2Latinpellispelt, hide, animal skin; the outside of a...
3Ancient Greekἄγραa catching, hunting, chase; that which is taken...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵro-hunt
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eǵ-to drive

Words derived from “pillion”

  • pillionwise
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ- →