Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pinion” come from?

Pinion comes from French pignon, derived from Latin pinna meaning feather or wing, though the precise sense development remains unclear.

pinion (English): A wing; The joint of a bird's wing farthest from...

Definitions

  1. A wing; The joint of a bird's wing farthest from...

Ancestry of “pinion”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchpignonpine nut, pine kernel; gable; gearwheel, pinion,...
2Frenchpeignecomb; first-person singular present indicative of...
3Old Frenchpeignecomb
4Latinpectencomb; pubic hair; scallop
5Proto-Italicpekten—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeḱten-s—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpeḱ-to pluck; livestock; wealth

Words derived from “pinion”

  • unpinion
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peḱ- →