Where does “Bank” come from?
Bank (Luxembourgish) comes from French banque, from Italian banco, from Old High German bank, from Proto-West Germanic banki, from Proto-Germanic bankiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- — to break.
Bank (Luxembourgish): bench, pew
Ancestry of “Bank”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | banque | bank |
| 2 | Italian | banco | desk; counter; bench, table |
| 3 | Old High German | bank | bench |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | banki | bench |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bankiz | a raised surface; bulge; hillock; slope; bench |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeg- | to break |