Etymograph

English

pinion

Pinion comes from Old French pignon, from Latin penna ‘feather’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fly’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én-‘feather, wing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*petnā‘feather’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpenna‘feather’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400pignon
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pynyon
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1577pinion

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én-‘feather, wing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*petnā‘feather’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpenna‘feather’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400pignon
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pynyon
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1577pinion

Earliest quotation: 1577, Konrad Heresbach, Foure Bookes of Husbandrie: “They that meane to fatte Pigions…some…do softly tie their…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fly’

pass, mile, repeat, compete, expand, patent, expansion, helicopter, petition, competitor, feather, symptom, perpetual, spawn, impetus, expanse, perpetuate, perpetuity, petulant, impetuous, patella, pata, patina, petulance, 83 more

through Latin penna ‘feather’

pen, pennant, penne, penna, 6 more

Another origin of pinion

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentpignon
  2. Englishtodaypinion

Today it means

noun A wing.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- / pinion

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