Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "caliber" come from? It comes from Arabic qalib, passing through French before entering English (1560s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "caliber" come from? It comes from Arabic qalib, passing through French before entering English (1560s).
Caliber’s story begins in Arabic: qalib meant “mould.” Arabic, from Greek 'kalopous', shoemaker's last. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as calibre. Came via Italian 'calibro'. It reached English by 1560s as caliber. The sense 'quality of mind' dates from the 1500s too. Today, caliber means the diameter of a gun barrel; quality.
- Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval qalib "mould", Arabic, from Greek 'kalopous', shoemaker's last.
- Stage 2 · French · 1500s calibre "bore of a gun", came via Italian 'calibro'.
- Stage 3 · English · 1560s caliber "gun bore", the sense 'quality of mind' dates from the 1500s too.