Where does “racecourse” come from?

Racecourse derives from English course and English raze, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱers-, meaning to run or scrape.

racecourse (English): A course over which races are run; A racetrack...

Definitions

  1. A course over which races are run; A racetrack...

Ancestry of “racecourse”, step by step

racecourse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English course

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcourseA sequence of events; A path that something or...
2Frenchcoursstream of water, river; course; teaching, lesson,...
3GermanKurscourse; exchange rate, market price
4Italiancorsocourse; stream, waterway; avenue
5Latincohorsa court; a farmyard or enclosure; a retinue or...
6Latinco-allomorph of con-
7Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt
14Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
15Old High Germankuti
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
19Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via English race

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishraceA contest between people, animals, vehicles, etc....
2Middle Frenchracerace; breed
3Italianrazzarace, breed; kind, type; family, descent
4Italianrazzoskyrocket; Ellipsis of razzo di segnalazione;...
5Italianraggioray, beam, shaft; spoke; radius
6Latinradiusray; staff, rod; spoke
7English-ánOf or pertaining to;. Often added to words of Latin origin, but also used with words of other origins. When a word ends in a
8Middle English-an
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Latin cōn-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-