English
easel
Easel comes from Dutch ezel ‘donkey’, and goes back to Latin asinus.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEasinus‘ass, donkey’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEasellus‘young ass or small donkey’diminutive of asinus
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*asil‘donkey’reconstructed
- Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500esel‘donkey’
- Dutchc. 1500–presentezel‘donkey’
- Englishearliest quotation 1702easel
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEasinus‘ass, donkey’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEasellus‘young ass or small donkey’diminutive of asinus
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*asil‘donkey’reconstructed
- Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500esel‘donkey’
- Dutchc. 1500–presentezel‘donkey’
- Englishearliest quotation 1702easel
Earliest quotation: 1702, Abel Boyer, CHEVALET: “Chevalet, (chaſſis de bois ſur lequel les Peintres poſent…”
The story
Borrowed from Dutch ezel (‘donkey; easel’), from Middle Dutch esel (‘donkey’), from Proto-West Germanic *asil, from Latin asellus (‘young ass or small donkey’), diminutive of asinus (‘ass, donkey’), ultimately from an unknown source in Asia Minor.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. Essentially, the stand that a painting is placed on is being likened to a donkey carrying a burden; compare horse (‘a frame with legs used to support something’), as in clotheshorse and sawhorse.
Linked words
through Latin asinus ‘ass, donkey’
Today it means
noun An upright frame, typically on three legs, for displaying or supporting something, such as an artist's canvas.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin asinus / easel