chauffeur

Where does the word "chauffeur" come from? It comes from Latin calefacere, passing through French before entering English (1899).

Chauffeur’s story begins in Latin: calefacere meant “to make warm.” To make warm, from calere (to be warm) and facere (to make). By medieval, the word had taken hold in French as chauffer. To heat, from calefacere, later applied to the person who stoked an early steam-powered car's engine. By 1890s, French speakers had reshaped it into chauffeur. One who heats, applied to the driver who operated the earliest motor cars. It reached English by 1899 as chauffeur. French 'stoker', from early steam-powered cars whose drivers stoked the boiler. Today, chauffeur means a person employed to drive a private motor vehicle for someone else.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient calefacere "to make warm", to make warm, from calere (to be warm) and facere (to make).
2. Stage 2 · French · medieval chauffer "to heat", to heat, from calefacere, later applied to the person who stoked an early steam-powered car's engine.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1890s chauffeur "a hired driver of a motor car", one who heats, applied to the driver who operated the earliest motor cars.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1899 chauffeur "a person employed to drive a private motor vehicle", French 'stoker', from early steam-powered cars whose drivers stoked the boiler.