Where does “pistolet” come from?

pistolet (Middle French) comes from Middle High German pischulle, from Czech píšťala, from Old Czech píščala, from Proto-Slavic piščalь, from Proto-Slavic piskati, from Proto-Balto-Slavic pīṣk-.

Ancestry of “pistolet”, step by step

pistolet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German pischulle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanpischulle—
2Czechpíšťalawhistle
3Old Czechpíščalawhistle device used to make a whistling sound
4Proto-Slavicpiščalьpipe; shinbone
5Proto-Slavicpiskatito squeak, to whistle
6Proto-Balto-Slavicpīṣk-—

via Italian pistolese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1ItalianpistoleseA short dagger; Alternative form of pistoiese
2ItalianPistoia—
3LatinPistoria—
4LatinPistoriumPistoia
Every word from Proto-Balto-Slavic pīṣk- →Every word from Proto-Slavic piskati →Every word from Proto-Slavic piščalь →