English
cabin
Cabin comes from Old French cabane, and goes back to Medieval Latin cabanna ‘a cabin’.
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500cabannaas capanna‘a cabin’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cabane
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500caban
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593cabin
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500cabannaas capanna‘a cabin’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cabane
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500caban
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593cabin
Earliest quotation: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus: “I'll make you […] cabin in a cave.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
had, case, except, heavy, accept, receive, behavior, cash, achieve, catch, heavily, capacity, chase, recipe, reception, occupation, capture, perception, capable, haven, behave, cable, recipient, hawk, anticipation, anticipate, susceptible, deception, chassis, caption, captive, capsule, conceive, deceive, captivity, deceptive, cater, deceit, cassette, conceivable, 134 more
through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’
through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’
capitalism, capitalize, capitan, capote, capitaine, 60 more
through Latin caput ‘head’
capital, chapter, captain, chef, cattle, capitol, precipitation, capita, mischief, mischievous, cad, precipitate, capillary, chieftain, occipital, precipitous, chattel, capo, caddie, capitulate, escapade, jefe, dishevelled, chabot, caput, cabochon, 67 more
through Latin cappa ‘cloak, cape’
escape, cope, chapel, cape, chaplain, capa, kaput, scamper, chaperon, scamp, capuchin, 19 more
through Medieval Latin cabanna ‘a cabin’
Today it means
noun A small dwelling characteristic of the frontier, especially when built from logs with simple tools and not constructed by professional builders, but by those who meant to live in it.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Medieval Latin cabanna / cabin