Where does “seneschal” come from?
seneschal (Middle Dutch) comes from Old French seneschal, from Medieval Latin siniscalcus, from Frankish siniskalk, from Proto-Germanic siniskalkaz, from Proto-Germanic skalkaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Ancestry of “seneschal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | seneschal | seneschal |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | siniscalcus | seneschal, steward, mayordomo |
| 3 | Frankish | siniskalk | seneschal |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | siniskalkaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skalkaz | servant |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |