Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "couple" come from? It comes from Latin copula, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "couple" come from? It comes from Latin copula, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).
Couple’s story begins in Latin: copula meant “bond, tie.” 'co-', together, plus 'apere', to fasten. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as cople. A leash joining two hunting dogs. It reached English by 1200s as couple. 'a couple of' meaning 'a few' dates from the 1900s. Today, couple means two people in a relationship; two of something.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient copula "bond, tie", 'co-', together, plus 'apere', to fasten.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval cople "pair, bond", a leash joining two hunting dogs.
- Stage 3 · English · 1200s couple "a pair", 'a couple of' meaning 'a few' dates from the 1900s.