English
epee
Epee comes from French épée ‘sword’, from Latin spatha ‘batten’, and ultimately from Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā ‘blade’.
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*spátʰā‘blade’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπάθηspáthē‘a flat wooden blade used by ancient weavers in their upright loom for striking the woof…’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspatha‘batten’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400espee
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
- Frenchc. 1600–presentépée‘sword’
- Englishearliest quotation 2019epee
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*spátʰā‘blade’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπάθηspáthē‘a flat wooden blade used by ancient weavers in their upright loom for striking the woof…’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspatha‘batten’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400espee
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
- Frenchc. 1600–presentépée‘sword’
- Englishearliest quotation 2019epee
Earliest quotation: 2019, Lightsaber duelling registered as official sport in France: “The country’s fencing federation has officially recognised lightsaber duelling…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- ‘to do’
do, fact, deal, hot, fair, defense, fan, benefit, fashion, feature, mid, theme, defence, custom, ethnic, sufficient, treasury, treasure, ethical, thesis, aesthetic, defendant, feast, synthetic, theology, doom, tick, dis, atheist, ethic, auditorium, auditor, atheism, demi, deed, thematic, ethos, forfeit, feral, fanatic, 126 more
through Latin spatha ‘batten’
Today it means
noun A sharp-pointed dueling sword with a bell-shaped guard, used (with the end blunted) in sport fencing.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *spátʰā / epee