1
Stage 1 of 4
al-qubba
Arabic · medieval
"vault, dome"
literally "the vault" or "the dome"
2
Stage 2 of 4
alcoba
Spanish · medieval
"a bedroom, recessed chamber"
came to mean a recessed sleeping chamber
3
Stage 3 of 4
alcôve
French · 1600s
"a recessed section of a room"
adopted for a recessed nook within a larger room
4
Stage 4 of 4
alcove
English · 1600s
"a recessed section of a room"
borrowed directly from French
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom