Etymology Map
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Panzer

3 stages from Old French to English.

Today it means a German armoured vehicle or division

Where does the word "panzer" come from? It comes from Old French pancier, passing through German before entering English (1940).

1
Stage 1 of 3
pancier
Old French · medieval
"belly armour"
a coat of mail protecting the belly, from Latin 'pantex', belly
2
Stage 2 of 3
Panzer
German · medieval
"armour"
armour
3
Stage 3 of 3
panzer
English · 1940
"armoured unit"
the Panzer divisions of the Second World War made it familiar
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Read the full story

Panzer’s story begins in Old French: pancier meant “belly armour.” A coat of mail protecting the belly, from Latin 'pantex', belly. By medieval, the word had taken hold in German as Panzer. Armour. It reached English by 1940 as panzer. The Panzer divisions of the Second World War made it familiar. Today, panzer means a German armoured vehicle or division.