English
cochair
Cochair comes from Middle English chayere ‘a litter or palanquin’, from Ancient Greek κᾰθέδρᾱ ‘seat’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sedreh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hédrāreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕδραhédra‘seat, abode, throne’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰθέδρᾱkăthédrā‘seat’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcathedra
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chaiere
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500chayere‘a litter or palanquin’
- English1500–presentchair
- Englishearliest quotation 1988cochair
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sedreh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hédrāreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕδραhédra‘seat, abode, throne’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰθέδρᾱkăthédrā‘seat’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcathedra
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chaiere
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500chayere‘a litter or palanquin’
- English1500–presentchair
- Englishearliest quotation 1988cochair
Earliest quotation: 1988, Ben Joravsky: “On the referendum, people are asked to vote yes…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
set, president, size, sell, sit, sitting, seat, method, session, resident, settle, assess, nest, possess, siege, saddle, exodus, reside, niche, subsidy, sedan, residue, residual, sediment, nye, insidious, sedentary, dissident, beset, prasad, cathode, soot, sedative, setter, obsess, anode, sedate, presidio, sate, sessile, 94 more
through Ancient Greek ἕδρα ‘seat, abode, throne’
through Latin cathedra
through Old French chaiere
Today it means
noun Someone who serves as the chair of a meeting or organization together with one or more other chairs.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sed- / cochair