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