Where does “caverna” come from?
caverna (Italian) comes from French caverne, from English cavern, from Middle English caverne, from Middle French caverne, from Old French caverne, from Latin caverna, from Latin cavus, from Proto-Italic kawos — to swell; to be strong.
caverna (Italian): cave, cavern
Definitions
- cave, cavern
Ancestry of “caverna”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | caverne | cavern |
| 2 | English | cavern | A large cave; An underground chamber; To form a... |
| 3 | Middle English | caverne | cavern, cave |
| 4 | Middle French | caverne | cavern |
| 5 | Old French | caverne | — |
| 6 | Latin | caverna | cave, cavern, grotto; vault, chamber, cleft; hold |
| 7 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |