Etymology Map
Back to all words

Cedilla

3 stages from Old Spanish to English.

Today it means a mark (¸) written under a letter, as in ç

Where does the word "cedilla" come from? It comes from Old Spanish zedilla, passing through French before entering English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
zedilla
Old Spanish · medieval
"little z"
'little z': the mark began as a small 'z' written under a 'c' to show the 'ts' sound
2
Stage 2 of 3
cédille
French · 1500s
"cedilla"
French printers adopted 'ç', while Spanish dropped the letter in the 1700s
3
Stage 3 of 3
cedilla
English · 1590s
"cedilla"
borrowed as a term of printing and grammar
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Cedilla’s story begins in Old Spanish: zedilla meant “little z.” 'little z': the mark began as a small 'z' written under a 'c' to show the 'ts' sound. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in French as cédille. French printers adopted 'ç', while Spanish dropped the letter in the 1700s. It reached English by 1590s as cedilla. Borrowed as a term of printing and grammar. Today, cedilla means a mark (¸) written under a letter, as in ç.