Where does “épître” come from?
épître (French) comes from Old French epistre, from Old French epistle, from Late Latin epistola, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστέλλω, from Ancient Greek ἐπί, from Ancient Greek Ἡμέρα, from Ancient Greek ἦμαρ — to be hot; to burn.
épître (French): epistle
Ancestry of “épître”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | epistre | epistle |
| 2 | Old French | epistle | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | epistola | a letter, epistle; a written imperial decree |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἐπιστολή | message, letter; command, commission, injunction;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἐπιστέλλω | I send to, inform by letter/message; I order,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἐπί | as well, besides; For usage in composition, see... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἡμέρα | — |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἦμαρ | day; by day; midday |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | ā́mər | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃mr̥ | heat |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃- | to be hot; to burn |