Etymograph

English

cancellation

Cancellation comes from Latin cancellō ‘to make like a lattice, cover with a lattice…’, from cancer ‘crab’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kr-kr-‘circular’reconstructedreduplication of *(s)ker-
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karkros‘enclosure’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*kankros‘enclosure, fence’reconstructeddissimilation of *karkros
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancer‘crab’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancellus‘lattice, grating’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancellō‘to make like a lattice, cover with a lattice or grid’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancellātiō
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2022cancellation

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kr-kr-‘circular’reconstructedreduplication of *(s)ker-
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karkros‘enclosure’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*kankros‘enclosure, fence’reconstructeddissimilation of *karkros
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancer‘crab’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancellus‘lattice, grating’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancellō‘to make like a lattice, cover with a lattice or grid’
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancellātiō
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2022cancellation

Earliest quotation: 2022, Nigel Harris, Comment: Unhappy start to 2022: “Then, in January, a creeping tsunami of train cancellations,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’

short, across, share, cross, card, screen, score, shirt, circle, circuit, crucial, curve, circus, skirt, scare, curb, shrine, carnival, crest, scrutiny, scar, circa, shear, circulation, shred, coronary, corona, raffle, carnage, scorn, shrewd, scorpion, crux, carcinoma, shard, cirque, circulate, crepe, corolla, corgi, 115 more

through Latin cancer ‘crab’

cancerous, canker, chancellery, 6 more

through Latin cancellus ‘lattice, grating’

chancel, 3 more

Today it means

noun The act, process, or result of cancelling; as, the cancellation of certain words in a contract, or of the contract itself.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- / cancellation

Shirt and support for this word