Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pillory” come from?

Pillory comes from Old French pilori, from Latin pila, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots related to hair and pointed objects.

pillory (English): A framework on a post, with holes for the hands...

Definitions

  1. A framework on a post, with holes for the hands...

Ancestry of “pillory”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpilory—
2Old Frenchpilori—
3Latinpilamortar; pillar; pier
4Latinpīlus—
5Latinpīlum—
6Proto-Italicpistlom—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpis-tlo-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeys-to grind, to crush

Words derived from “pillory”

  • pillorize
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peys- →