Etymograph

English

abatis

Abatis comes from French abatis ‘mass of things beaten or cut down’, from Old French abatre ‘to knock over’, and ultimately from Latin battere.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbattere
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbattere
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400abatre‘to knock over’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600abbatre‘to knock down’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentabattre‘to cut down (a tree)’
  6. French, derivedc. 1600–presentabatis‘mass of things beaten or cut down’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbattere
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbattere
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400abatre‘to knock over’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600abbatre‘to knock down’
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentabattre‘to cut down (a tree)’
  6. French, derivedc. 1600–presentabatis‘mass of things beaten or cut down’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Latin battere

bat, batter, batten, 6 more

through Late Latin abbattere

abate, 2 more

through Old French abatre ‘to knock over’

abatement, bate, 2 more

through French abattre ‘to cut down (a tree)’

abattoir, 1 more

Today it means

noun A means of defense formed by felled trees, or sometimes by bent trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the enemy, and more recently fortified with barbed wire.

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

Etymograph / Latin battere / abatis

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