English
monocoque
Monocoque comes from French monocoque, from coque ‘shell, hull’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek κόκκος ‘grain, seed, berry’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκόκκοςkókkos‘grain, seed, berry’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoccum‘berry’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400coque‘shell’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘shell, hull’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentmonocoque
- Englishearliest quotation 1964same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκόκκοςkókkos‘grain, seed, berry’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoccum‘berry’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400coque‘shell’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘shell, hull’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentmonocoque
- Englishearliest quotation 1964same form
Earliest quotation: 1964, G. Freeman Allen, The BRB shows traders the Liner train prototypes: “The body is a one-piece monocoque structure of glass…”
first attested First attested in 1914: from the French monocoque (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1914: from the French monocoque.
Linked words
through Old French coque ‘shell’
through French coque ‘shell, hull’
Today it means
noun A structure design in which the frame and body are built as a single integrated structure.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κόκκος / monocoque