Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “quarterstaff” come from?

quarterstaff (English) comes from English quarter, from Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from Latin quārtus, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeturtos, from Proto-Indo-European kʷetwóres, from Proto-Indo-European kʷe- — and.

quarterstaff (English): A wooden staff of an approximate length between 2...

Definitions

  1. A wooden staff of an approximate length between 2...

Ancestry of “quarterstaff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishquarter"A fourth part of something."; "Place or...
2Middle Englishquarter—
3Anglo-Normanquarter—
4Latinquartarius—
5Latinquārtus—
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷeturtos—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷetwóresfour
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷe-and
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷe- →