depot

Where does the word "depot" come from? It comes from Latin depositum, passing through French before entering English (1700s-1800s).

Depot’s story begins in Latin: depositum meant “a deposit.” Meaning "a thing deposited". By medieval, the word had taken hold in French as dépôt. Came to mean a storage place or warehouse. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as depot. Adopted for a storage facility or transit station. Today, depot means a place for storing goods, or a small train or bus station.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient depositum "a deposit", meaning "a thing deposited".
2. Stage 2 · French · medieval dépôt "a storage place", came to mean a storage place or warehouse.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1700s-1800s depot "a storage facility or transit station", adopted for a storage facility or transit station.