cemetery

Where does the word "cemetery" come from? It comes from Greek koimeterion, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Cemetery’s story begins in Greek: koimeterion meant “a sleeping place, dormitory.” Literally a sleeping place, a euphemism used by early Christians for burial grounds. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cimetiere. Carried the burial-ground meaning into French. It reached English by 1400s as cemetery. Settled as the English word for a burial ground. Today, cemetery means a place set aside for burying the dead.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient koimeterion "a sleeping place, dormitory", literally a sleeping place, a euphemism used by early Christians for burial grounds.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval cimetiere "a burial ground", carried the burial-ground meaning into French.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s cemetery "a burial ground", settled as the English word for a burial ground.