Etymograph

English

Pilate

Pilate comes from Latin Pīlātus ‘a Roman cognomen’, from pīlum ‘javelin, pestle’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peys- ‘to grind, to crush’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peys-‘to grind, to crush’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pistlomreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCEsame formreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpīlum‘javelin, pestle’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEPīlātus‘a Roman cognomen’literally ‘armed with javelins’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1968Pilate

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peys-‘to grind, to crush’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pistlomreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCEsame formreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpīlum‘javelin, pestle’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEPīlātus‘a Roman cognomen’literally ‘armed with javelins’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1968Pilate

Earliest quotation: 1968, Keith Richards, Sympathy for the Devil: “I was 'round when Jesus Christ / Had his…”

The story

The surname is from Latin Pīlātus (“a Roman cognomen”, literally “armed with javelins”), from pīlum (‘javelin, pestle’), of unknown ultimate origin.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peys- ‘to grind, to crush’

pesto, pestle, piste, 6 more

through Latin pīlum ‘javelin, pestle’

pile, 1 more

Today it means

name Pontius Pilate, the man who, according to the Bible, ordered the crucifixion of Jesus.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peys- / Pilate

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