Etymology Explorer › Middle Low German

Where does “pille” come from?

pille (Middle Low German) comes from Medieval Latin pilla, from Latin pilula, from Latin pila, from Latin pīlus, from Latin pīlum, from Proto-Italic pistlom, from Proto-Indo-European pis-tlo-, from Proto-Indo-European peys- — to grind, to crush.

Ancestry of “pille”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinpilla—
2LatinpilulaA small ball, globule; pellet; A pill
3Latinpilamortar; pillar; pier
4Latinpīlus—
5Latinpīlum—
6Proto-Italicpistlom—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpis-tlo-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeys-to grind, to crush

Words derived from “pille”

  • pill
  • pillbox
  • pilling
  • polypill
  • pilly
  • minipill
  • postpill
  • pillhead
  • radiopill
  • pillwort
  • antipill
  • prepill
  • pilliness
  • sugar pill
  • antipilling
  • pillworm
  • sovepille
  • pille
  • pille
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peys- →