Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “chevalier” come from?

chevalier (Old French) comes from Late Latin caballarius, from Latin caballus, from Proto-Celtic kaballos — horse.

chevalier (Old French): knight

Definitions

  1. knight

Ancestry of “chevalier”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Late Latincaballariushorseman
2Latincaballushorse; nag; pack-horse, jade, hack
3Proto-Celtickaballoshorse

Words derived from “chevalier”

  • chevaleresquement
  • chevalière
  • chevalier
  • chevaleresque
  • şövalye
  • شوالیه
  • chevalier
Every word from Proto-Celtic kaballos →