Where does “pawn” come from?
pawn (Middle English) comes from Middle English pown, from Anglo-Norman peon, from Late Latin pedo, from Latin pēs, from Ancient Greek μέτρον, from Ancient Greek -τρον, from Proto-Hellenic -tron, from Proto-Indo-European -trom — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
pawn (Middle English): Alternative form of pown
Ancestry of “pawn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pown | pawn; peacock |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | peon | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | pedo | footsoldier; footman; I furnish with feet, foot;... |
| 4 | Latin | pēs | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |
Words derived from “pawn”