mallet

Where does the word "mallet" come from? It comes from Latin malleus, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).

Mallet’s story begins in Latin: malleus meant “hammer.” The root of 'malleable'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as maillet. A diminutive of 'mail', hammer. It reached English by 1400s as mallet. Croquet mallets date from the 1800s. Today, mallet means a hammer with a large wooden head.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient malleus "hammer", the root of 'malleable'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval maillet "small hammer", a diminutive of 'mail', hammer.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s mallet "wooden hammer", croquet mallets date from the 1800s.