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Today it means

belt

a strip of leather or fabric worn around the waist

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Where does the word "belt" come from? It comes from Latin balteus, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

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Where does the word "belt" come from? It comes from Latin balteus, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Belt’s story begins in Latin: balteus meant “sword belt.” A sword belt or baldric worn over the shoulder by Roman soldiers, possibly an Etruscan word. It reached English by 1300s as belt. Borrowed into Old English via West Germanic; 'below the belt' comes from boxing, where the Marquess of Queensberry rules of 1867 banned low blows. Today, belt means a strip of leather or fabric worn around the waist.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · classical balteus "sword belt", a sword belt or baldric worn over the shoulder by Roman soldiers, possibly an Etruscan word.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s belt "strap around the waist", borrowed into Old English via West Germanic; 'below the belt' comes from boxing, where the Marquess of Queensberry rules of 1867 banned low blows.

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