Where does “échafaud” come from?
échafaud (French) comes from German Schafott, from Dutch schavot, from Middle Dutch schavot, from Old French eschafaud, from Vulgar Latin catafalicum, from Ancient Greek κατά, from Ancient Greek καταστερίζω, from Ancient Greek ἀστήρ — to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth.
échafaud (French): scaffold
Definitions
- scaffold
Ancestry of “échafaud”, step by step
échafaud traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Schafott
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Schafott | scaffold |
| 2 | Dutch | schavot | A scaffold where public executions or less... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | schavot | — |
| 4 | Old French | eschafaud | — |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | catafalicum | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κατά | |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | καταστερίζω | to place among the stars; I put among the stars |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἀστήρ | a celestial body; illustrious person; starfish |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | astḗr | star |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂stḗr | star |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
via Old French chafaud
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | chafaud | — |
| 2 | Latin | catafalcum | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | κᾰτᾰ- | fully; down; denoting motion downwards |