Where does “surplice” come from?
Surplice comes from Old French surpeliz, from Latin superpelliceum, combining Latin super with πέλλα, a garment term from Ancient Greek with roots in Proto-Indo-European upo.
surplice (English): A liturgical vestment of the Christian Church. It...
Definitions
- A liturgical vestment of the Christian Church. It...
Ancestry of “surplice”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | surplys | A surplice clerical vestment, also referring to an ephod |
| 2 | Old French | surpeliz | — |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | superpelliceum | — |
| 4 | Latin | super | "accusative" above, on the top of, upon;... |
| 5 | Latin | eks-uper | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upéri | alternative reconstruction of *upér |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |