English
grotto
Grotto comes from Italian grotta, and goes back to Ancient Greek κρύπτω ‘to hide’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρύπτωkrúptō‘to hide’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκρυπτή
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrypta
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEgrupta
- Italianc. 1300–presentgrotta
- Englishearliest quotation 1837grotto
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρύπτωkrúptō‘to hide’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκρυπτή
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrypta
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEgrupta
- Italianc. 1300–presentgrotta
- Englishearliest quotation 1837grotto
Earliest quotation: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Pope’s Villa: “...But, while we are waiting for the temple, can…”
The story
The Philippine sense is from the holy cave in Lourdes, France.
Linked words
through Ancient Greek κρύπτω ‘to hide’
through Ancient Greek κρυπτή
through Latin crypta
through Italian grotta
Today it means
noun A small cave.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κρύπτω / grotto