Where does “pirate” come from?
pirate (Middle French) comes from Old French pirate, from Latin pīrāta, from Ancient Greek πειρατής, from Ancient Greek -τής, from Ancient Greek πεῖρα, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “pirate”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | pirate | pirate (one who attacks watercraft) |
| 2 | Latin | pīrāta | pirate |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | πειρατής | brigand, robber |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -τής | Appended to verbs to form agent nouns |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πεῖρα | trial, experiment, attempt |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |