Where does “pirate” come from?
Pirate comes from Old French pirate, from Latin pirata, from Ancient Greek πειρατής, derived from πεῖρα meaning "attempt" or "trial," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to try" or "to risk."
pirate (English): A criminal who plunders at sea; commonly...
Definitions
- A criminal who plunders at sea; commonly...
Ancestry of “pirate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | piratically | In a piratical manner |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |