Where does “cimetière” come from?
cimetière (French) comes from Old French cimitiere, from Medieval Latin cimiterium, from Late Latin coemeterium, from Ancient Greek κοιμητήριον, from Ancient Greek κοιμάω, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
cimetière (French): cemetery, graveyard
Ancestry of “cimetière”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | cimitiere | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | cimiterium | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | coemeterium | cemetery, churchyard, burial ground |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κοιμητήριον | sleeping chamber |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κοιμάω | put to sleep, lull; to sleep |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |