corner

Where does the word "corner" come from? It comes from Latin cornu, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Corner’s story begins in Latin: cornu meant “horn, point.” The root of 'cornet' and 'unicorn'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cornier. Anglo-French form from 'corne', horn or angle. It reached English by 1200s as corner. 'corner the market' dates from the 1800s. Today, corner means a place where two sides meet.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient cornu "horn, point", the root of 'cornet' and 'unicorn'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval cornier "angle, corner", Anglo-French form from 'corne', horn or angle.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s corner "angle", 'corner the market' dates from the 1800s.