Where does “purloin” come from?
purloin (English) comes from Middle English purloynen, from Anglo-Norman purloigner, from Old French porloignier, from Latin prōlongāre, from Latin longus, from Latin -ē, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
purloin (English): To take the property of another, often in breach...
Definitions
- To take the property of another, often in breach...
Ancestry of “purloin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | purloynen | to remove |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | purloigner | to put far away |
| 3 | Old French | porloignier | to delay; to put off; to be late |
| 4 | Latin | prōlongāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | longus | far, long; extended, prolonged; long; tedious,... |
| 6 | Latin | -ē | ly; used to form adverbs from adjectives |
| 7 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 8 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 9 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |