Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sculpture” come from?

Sculpture comes from Middle English sculpture, from Old French sculpture, from Latin sculptura, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel-, meaning to cut or carve.

sculpture (English): A three dimensional work of art created by...

Definitions

  1. A three dimensional work of art created by...

Ancestry of “sculpture”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsculpture—
2Old Frenchsculpture—
3Latinsculpturathe act of cutting out or carving; a sculpture, a...
4Latinsculperepresent active infinitive of sculpō; carve
5LatinsculpoI carve, chisel; I fashion by sculpting, sculpt
6LatinscalpoI scratch; I carve or engrave
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kel(H)p-—
8Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
9Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Words derived from “sculpture”

  • sculptured
  • sculptural
  • sculpturesque
  • sculpturally
  • unsculptured
  • liposculpture
  • photosculpture
  • sculpturelike
  • insculptured
  • sculpturesquely
  • macrosculpture
  • sculpturesqueness
  • sculpturable
  • resculpture
  • sculpturist
  • microsculptured
  • photosculptural
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →