English
abattoir
Abattoir comes from French abattoir ‘abattoir, slaughterhouse’, from Middle French abbatre ‘to knock down’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰedʰ-root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbattere
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbattere
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400abatre‘to knock over’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600abbatre‘to knock down’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentabattre‘to slaughter’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentabattoir‘abattoir, slaughterhouse’
- Englishearliest quotation 2017same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰedʰ-root as named
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbattere
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEabbattere
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400abatre‘to knock over’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600abbatre‘to knock down’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentabattre‘to slaughter’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentabattoir‘abattoir, slaughterhouse’
- Englishearliest quotation 2017same form
Earliest quotation: 2017, Franz-Stefan Gady, What Would the Second Korean War Look Like?: “The corridors where North Korean troops would be advancing…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ-
through Latin battere
through Late Latin abbattere
through Old French abatre ‘to knock over’
Today it means
noun A public slaughterhouse for cattle, sheep, etc.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- / abattoir