Where does “parable” come from?
parable (Old French) comes from Late Latin parabola, from Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή, from Ancient Greek παραβάλλω, from Ancient Greek πᾰρᾰ-, from Ancient Greek παρά, from Latin verēdus, from Gaulish werēdos — horse.
Ancestry of “parable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | parabola | parable, speech; speech; A comparison,... |
| 2 | Latin | parabola | A comparison, illustration, likeness; An... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | παραβολή | a placing of two things side by side,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | παραβάλλω | to compare; to set side by side; I set side by... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | πᾰρᾰ- | near; next to; by, near |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | παρά | |
| 7 | Latin | verēdus | A fast or light breed of horse; courier's horse; hunter |
| 8 | Gaulish | werēdos | horse |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | *uɸoreidos | horse |