Etymograph

English

squadron

Squadron comes from Italian squadra ‘squad’, from squadrare ‘to delimit in a square or rectangular shape’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷetwṓrreconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷettwōr‘four’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquattuor‘four’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquadrus‘square’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*exquadrārereconstructed
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentsquadrare‘to delimit in a square or rectangular shape’
  7. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentsquadra‘squad’
  8. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentsquadrone
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1667squadron

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kʷetwṓrreconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kʷettwōr‘four’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEquattuor‘four’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEquadrus‘square’
  5. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*exquadrārereconstructed
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentsquadrare‘to delimit in a square or rectangular shape’
  7. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentsquadra‘squad’
  8. Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentsquadrone
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1667squadron

Earliest quotation: 1667, John Milton, Book IV: “Those half-rounding guards / Just met, and, closing, stood…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr

four, 29 more

through Latin quattuor ‘four’

cater, quarry, cadre, quadruple, quatre, cuatro, quatrain, 26 more

through Latin quadrus ‘square’

square, quadrant, quadratic, quadra, 12 more

Today it means

noun A body of troops drawn up in a square.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr / squadron

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