Where does “cauchemare” come from?
cauchemare (Middle French) comes from Old French cauquemare, from Norman cauche, from Old French chauce, from Vulgar Latin calcea, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
cauchemare (Middle French): nightmare
Ancestry of “cauchemare”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | cauquemare | nightmare |
| 2 | Norman | cauche | stocking |
| 3 | Old French | chauce | stocking |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | calcea | garment covering foot and leg |
| 5 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 6 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
Words derived from “cauchemare”