Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “square” come from?

square (Middle English) comes from Old French esquarre, from Vulgar Latin exquadra, from Latin ex, from Latin commūnicō, from Latin commūnis, from Old Latin com(m)oinis, from Proto-Italic kommoinis, from Proto-Indo-European ḱom-moy-ni- — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

square (Middle English): A square; A square ; a square plot of land; One...

Definitions

  1. A square; A square ; a square plot of land; One...

Ancestry of “square”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchesquarresquare
2Vulgar Latinexquadra—
3LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
4Latincommūnicō—
5Latincommūnis—
6Old Latincom(m)oinis—
7Proto-Italickommoinis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “square”

  • square
  • squarely
  • squareness
  • foursquare
  • squarish
  • squarer
  • semisquare
  • squaresail
  • squarehead
  • sweer
  • nonsquare
  • subsquare
  • trysquare
  • squaric
  • unsquare
  • squarefree
  • oversquare
  • squarate
  • undersquare
  • squarelike
  • squaretail
  • squaretoes
  • unsquarable
  • quasisquare
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →