Where does “pinnacle” come from?
Pinnacle comes from Old French pinacle, derived from Late Latin pinnaculum, which stems from Latin pinna meaning wing or feather, ultimately from Latin penna with the same sense.
pinnacle (English): The highest point; A tall, sharp and craggy rock...
Definitions
- The highest point; A tall, sharp and craggy rock...
Ancestry of “pinnacle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | pinnacle | — |
| 2 | Latin | pinnāculum | a peak, pinnacle |
| 3 | Latin | Pinna | A city of the Vestini situated on the eastern slope of the Apennines, now the town of Penne |
| 4 | Latin | penna | wing; feather, especially a flight-feather;... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | petnā | feather; wing |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |