Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “cavalier” come from?

cavalier (French) comes from Italian cavaliere, from Old Occitan cavalier, from Late Latin caballarius, from Latin caballus, from Proto-Celtic kaballos — horse.

cavalier (French): horseman, "particularly"; knight; U-nail, fence...

Definitions

  1. horseman, "particularly"; knight; U-nail, fence...

Ancestry of “cavalier”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiancavaliererider or horseman; cavalryman or trooper; an...
2Old Occitancavalier—
3Late Latincaballariushorseman
4Latincaballushorse; nag; pack-horse, jade, hack
5Proto-Celtickaballoshorse

Words derived from “cavalier”

  • кавале́р
  • кавалер
  • cavalièrement
  • kavalye
  • cavaler
Every word from Proto-Celtic kaballos →