Etymology Map
Back to all words

Chimney

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a vertical pipe carrying smoke from a fire

Where does the word "chimney" come from? It comes from Latin caminus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
caminus
Latin · ancient
"furnace, oven"
from Greek 'kaminos', a kiln
2
Stage 2 of 3
cheminee
Old French · medieval
"fireplace, flue"
first meant the fireplace itself, then the flue
3
Stage 3 of 3
chimney
English · 1300s
"fireplace"
narrowed to the stack that carries smoke up
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Chimney’s story begins in Latin: caminus meant “furnace, oven.” From Greek 'kaminos', a kiln. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cheminee. First meant the fireplace itself, then the flue. It reached English by 1300s as chimney. Narrowed to the stack that carries smoke up. Today, chimney means a vertical pipe carrying smoke from a fire.