armoire

Where does the word "armoire" come from? It comes from Latin armārium, passing through Old French before entering English (1570s).

Armoire’s story begins in Latin: armārium meant “tool closet.” A closet for tools or weapons, from 'arma', arms. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as armaire. A cupboard; 'ambry', a church cupboard for sacred vessels, comes from the same word. It reached English by 1570s as armoire. Used especially for French-style wardrobes. Today, armoire means a large ornate wardrobe or cupboard.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient armārium "tool closet", a closet for tools or weapons, from 'arma', arms.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval armaire "cupboard", a cupboard; 'ambry', a church cupboard for sacred vessels, comes from the same word.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1570s armoire "wardrobe", used especially for French-style wardrobes.