Where does “pistol” come from?
Pistol comes from Middle French pistole, a term of unknown ultimate origin referring to a small firearm.
pistol (English): A handgun, with a chamber integrated in the...
Definitions
- A handgun, with a chamber integrated in the...
Ancestry of “pistol”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle French | pistole | pistol |
| 2 | Middle High German | pitschal | — |
| 3 | Czech | píšťala | whistle |
| 4 | Old Czech | píščala | whistle device used to make a whistling sound |
| 5 | Proto-Slavic | piščalь | pipe; shinbone |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | piskati | to squeak, to whistle |
| 7 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | pīṣk- | — |
Words derived from “pistol”