Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "cell" come from? It comes from Latin cella, passing through Old French before entering English (1100s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "cell" come from? It comes from Latin cella, passing through Old French before entering English (1100s).
Cell’s story begins in Latin: cella meant “small room, storeroom.” Related to 'celare', to hide. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as celle. A small room in a monastery. It reached English by 1100s as cell. Biological 'cells' were named by Robert Hooke in 1665. Today, cell means a small room; the basic unit of life.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient cella "small room, storeroom", related to 'celare', to hide.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval celle "monk's cell", a small room in a monastery.
- Stage 3 · English · 1100s cell "small room", biological 'cells' were named by Robert Hooke in 1665.