corridor

Where does the word "corridor" come from? It comes from Latin currere, passing through Italian and French before entering English (1590s).

Corridor’s story begins in Latin: currere meant “to run.” By medieval, the word had taken hold in Italian as corridore. Literally "a running place", a fortification passage. From there it passed into French as corridor by 1500s-1600s. First a covered way along a fortification wall. It reached English by 1590s as corridor. Railway corridor trains date from the 1880s. Today, corridor means a long passage inside a building, connecting rooms.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient currere "to run", meaning "to run".
2. Stage 2 · Italian · medieval corridore "a passage or gallery", literally "a running place", a fortification passage.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1500s-1600s corridor "a passage or gallery", first a covered way along a fortification wall.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1590s corridor "a long passage inside a building", railway corridor trains date from the 1880s.