Where does “plank” come from?
plank (Middle English) comes from Old French planke, from Vulgar Latin planca, from Latin palanca, from Ottoman Turkish پلانقه, from Italian paranco, from Italian palanco, from Vulgar Latin palanca, from Latin phalanga — to balk, beam.
Ancestry of “plank”, step by step
plank traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French planke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | planke | Alternative form of planche |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | planca | — |
| 3 | Latin | palanca | slat, plank or stake; palanka, a palisaded... |
| 4 | Ottoman Turkish | پلانقه | a kind of palisaded fortification erected by the... |
| 5 | Italian | paranco | hoist |
| 6 | Italian | palanco | Alternative form of paranco |
| 7 | Vulgar Latin | palanca | slat, plank or stake; palanka, a palisaded... |
| 8 | Latin | phalanga | wooden roller; carrying pole; alternative form of... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | φάλαγξ | line of battle, battle-array; ranks of an army;... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵ- | to balk, beam |
via Old Northern French planque
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Northern French | planque | — |