Where does “epistle” come from?
epistle (Old French) comes from Late Latin epistola, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστολή, from Ancient Greek ἐπιστέλλω, from Ancient Greek ἐπί, from Ancient Greek Ἡμέρα, from Ancient Greek ἦμαρ, from Proto-Hellenic ā́mər, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eh₃mr̥ — to be hot; to burn.
Ancestry of “epistle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | epistola | a letter, epistle; a written imperial decree |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἐπιστολή | message, letter; command, commission, injunction;... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἐπιστέλλω | I send to, inform by letter/message; I order,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἐπί | as well, besides; For usage in composition, see... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ἡμέρα | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἦμαρ | day; by day; midday |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | ā́mər | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃mr̥ | heat |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₃- | to be hot; to burn |
Words derived from “epistle”