Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “citerne” come from?

citerne (French) comes from English cistern, from Middle English cisterne, from Old French cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from Latin cista, from Ancient Greek κύστις, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- — to cover, bedeck; cover.

citerne (French): cistern

Definitions

  1. cistern

Ancestry of “citerne”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcisternA reservoir or tank for holding water, especially...
2Middle Englishcisterne—
3Old Frenchcisterne—
4Latincisternacistern, tank , reservoir
5Latincistaa trunk, a chest, a casket; vocative singular of...
6Ancient Greekκύστιςbladder
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kewH-to cover, bedeck; cover
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- →