Where does “tombstone” come from?
Tombstone comes from Middle English tombe and Old English stān, combining Latin tumba and Ancient Greek τύμβος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- meaning to stand or be firm.
tombstone (English): A headstone marking a person's grave; The symbol...
Definitions
- A headstone marking a person's grave; The symbol...
Ancestry of “tombstone”, step by step
tombstone traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tomb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tomb | A small building for the remains of the dead,... |
| 2 | French | tombé | past participle of tomber |
| 3 | Italian | tomba | tomb, grave; A very narrow and gloomy habitation... |
| 4 | Spanish | tumba | grave, tomb |
| 5 | Latin | tumba | tomb |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τύμβος | funeral mound, tomb, grave |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tūm- | to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |
via English Stone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Stone | for someone who lived near a stone worked with stone, from |
| 2 | Middle English | ston | Alternative form of stone |
| 3 | Old English | stān | stone, rock |
| 4 | Old Norse | Veggr | name of a dwarf |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wajjuz | wall |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wh̥₁yús | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weh₁y- | to twist, wind, weave, plait; to wrap, enclose,... |