Etymology Explorer › Italian

Where does “guardrail” come from?

guardrail (Italian) comes from English guardrail, from English guard, from Middle English garde, from Old French guarde, from Old French guarder, from Frankish wardēn, from Proto-Germanic wardāną, from Proto-Germanic *warduz — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

guardrail (Italian): guardrail

Definitions

  1. guardrail

Ancestry of “guardrail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishguardrailA rail set alongside a dangerous place in order...
2EnglishguardA person who, or thing that, protects or watches...
3Middle Englishgardeguardianship, safeguarding, covering, authority;...
4Old Frenchguardeprotection; act of protecting; guard; inflection...
5Old Frenchguarderto protect; to guard; to look at
6Frankishwardēnto protect; to guard, protect, watch over; to...
7Proto-Germanicwardānąto guard, protect, watch over
8Proto-Germanic*warduz—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
10Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →