cornice

Where does the word "cornice" come from? It comes from Greek korone, passing through Italian before entering English (1560s).

Cornice’s story begins in Greek: korone meant “a curved or wreathed edge.” Anything curved, a wreath, related to a decorative projecting edge. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Italian as cornice. Settled in Italian for the decorative molding along the top of a wall. It reached English by 1560s as cornice. A term of classical architecture spread by Renaissance pattern books such as Palladio's. Today, cornice means an ornamental molding along the top of a wall or building.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient korone "a curved or wreathed edge", anything curved, a wreath, related to a decorative projecting edge.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1500s cornice "a decorative molding along a wall's top edge", settled in Italian for the decorative molding along the top of a wall.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1560s cornice "a decorative molding crowning a wall or structure", a term of classical architecture spread by Renaissance pattern books such as Palladio's.