Where does “coferdam” come from?
coferdam (Romanian) comes from English cofferdam, from English dam, from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō, from Latin damnum, from Proto-Italic dapnom — to share, divide.
coferdam (Romanian): cofferdam
Definitions
- cofferdam
Ancestry of “coferdam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cofferdam | A temporary watertight structure that is pumped... |
| 2 | English | dam | A structure placed across a flowing body of water... |
| 3 | English | damn | To condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare... |
| 4 | Middle English | dampnen | to damn |
| 5 | Old French | dampner | to damn |
| 6 | Latin | damnō | to discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject |
| 7 | Latin | damnum | damage or injury; loss; a fine |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | dapnom | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dh₂pnóm | expense, investment |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |