Where does “trapeze” come from?
Trapeze comes from French trapèze, from Latin trapezium, from Ancient Greek τραπέζιον, ultimately from τράπεζα meaning table, derived from τρά- combined with ped- meaning foot.
trapeze (English): A trapezium; A swinging horizontal bar, suspended...
Definitions
- A trapezium; A swinging horizontal bar, suspended...
Ancestry of “trapeze”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | trapèze | trapeze; trapezium; trapezium, trapezium bone |
| 2 | Latin | trapezium | trapezium, trapezoid |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | τραπέζιον | irregular quadrilateral; little table; small... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τράπεζα | a table |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | *τετράπεζα | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | πέζα | foot, edge; foot, instep, bottom; -footed,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πούς | foot; leg; Greek foot or pous, the ancient Greek... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pṓds | foot |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | póds | foot |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ped- | to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall |