English
pommel
Pommel comes from Old French pomel ‘decorate sphere on the end of a sword, a…’, from Late Latin pōmum ‘apple’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂po-h₁ém-osreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*poomos‘fruit’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpōmum‘apple’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pomel‘decorate sphere on the end of a sword, a staff, etc’by way of Vulgar Latin *pomellum
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pomel
- Englishearliest quotation 1830pommel
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁em-‘to take’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂po-h₁ém-osreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*poomos‘fruit’reconstructed
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpōmum‘apple’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400pomel‘decorate sphere on the end of a sword, a staff, etc’by way of Vulgar Latin *pomellum
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500pomel
- Englishearliest quotation 1830pommel
Earliest quotation: 1830, Charles Thompson, Rules for Bad Horsemen: “But, if it does so sit, it is plain…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- ‘to take’
consumer, assume, premium, assumption, resume, redemption, exempt, consume, redeem, ransom, sumptuous, résumé, consumable, preemption, emptor, overconsumption, 58 more
through Late Latin pōmum ‘apple’
Today it means
noun The upper front brow of a saddle.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- / pommel