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Anchor

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a heavy object that holds a ship in place; a news presenter

Where does the word "anchor" come from? It comes from Greek ánkyra, passing through Latin and Old English before entering English (1500s).

ánkyra→ancora→ancor→anchor

Greek · ancient

the city of Ancyra (modern Ankara) was named after it; Pausanias says King Midas's anchor was still shown there

Latin · classical

early Christians painted the anchor in the Roman catacombs as a veiled symbol of hope

Old English · medieval

borrowed early from Latin; the -ch- spelling is a later imitation of the misspelling anchora

English · 1500s

"heavy mooring device"

a news 'anchor', the linchpin of a broadcast, dates from the 1950s in US television

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Anchor’s story begins in Greek: ánkyra meant “anchor.” The city of Ancyra (modern Ankara) was named after it; Pausanias says King Midas's anchor was still shown there. By classical, the word had taken hold in Latin as ancora. Early Christians painted the anchor in the Roman catacombs as a veiled symbol of hope. From there it passed into Old English as ancor by medieval. Borrowed early from Latin; the -ch- spelling is a later imitation of the misspelling anchora. It reached English by 1500s as anchor. A news 'anchor', the linchpin of a broadcast, dates from the 1950s in US television. Today, anchor means a heavy object that holds a ship in place; a news presenter.