Etymograph

English

belt

Belt comes from Old English belt ‘belt, girdle’, and goes back to Latin balteus.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbalteus‘belt’
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baltijaz‘girdle’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*baltī̆reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150belt‘belt’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1980same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbalteus‘belt’
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baltijaz‘girdle’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*baltī̆reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150belt‘belt’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1980same form

Earliest quotation: 1980, B. C. Burchfiel, Foreland Fold and Thrust Belts—Review: “Most foreland fold and thrust belts are linear or…”

Every English word from Latin balteus

Today it means

noun A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing.

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

Etymograph / Latin balteus / belt

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