English
Pierrot
Pierrot comes from French Pierre ‘Peter’, and goes back to Ancient Greek Πέτρος ‘stone, rock’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠέτρος‘stone, rock’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPetrus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600Pierre
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘Peter’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentPierrotdiminutive of Pierre
- Englishearliest quotation 1912same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠέτρος‘stone, rock’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPetrus
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600Pierre
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘Peter’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentPierrotdiminutive of Pierre
- Englishearliest quotation 1912same form
Earliest quotation: 1912, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov: “I'll win them by politeness, and... and... show them…”
Every English word from Ancient Greek Πέτρος
Today it means
name A character from French pantomime; a buffoon in a loose white outfit; a popular choice for a masquerade costume.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek Πέτρος / Pierrot