Etymology Map
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Column

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means an upright pillar; a vertical division of a page

Where does the word "column" come from? It comes from Latin columna, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
columna
Latin · ancient
"pillar"
related to 'culmen', top, summit
2
Stage 2 of 3
colomne
Old French · medieval
"pillar"
Trajan's Column in Rome was a famous model for later monuments
3
Stage 3 of 3
column
English · 1400s
"pillar"
newspaper 'columns' date from the 1600s
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Read the full story

Column’s story begins in Latin: columna meant “pillar.” Related to 'culmen', top, summit. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as colomne. Trajan's Column in Rome was a famous model for later monuments. It reached English by 1400s as column. Newspaper 'columns' date from the 1600s. Today, column means an upright pillar; a vertical division of a page.