1
Stage 1 of 5
baculum
Latin · ancient
"a stick"
a plain word for a stick or bar
2
Stage 2 of 5
bacler
Old French · medieval
"to bar, block"
'to bar', from the Latin word for a stick used to bolt a door
3
Stage 3 of 5
debacler
French · 1600s
"to break up, unblock"
des- 'off' plus bacler 'to bar' - literally to unbar a river choked with ice
4
Stage 4 of 5
debacle
French · 1600s
"the breakup of ice on a river; a disaster"
the noun described the violent spring breakup of river ice, then any catastrophic collapse
5
Stage 5 of 5
debacle
English · 1848
"a sudden, disastrous collapse or failure"
borrowed for a sudden, ignominious collapse or failure
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