pilaster

Where does the word "pilaster" come from? It comes from Latin pila, passing through Italian before entering English (1570s).

Pilaster’s story begins in Latin: pila meant “a pillar.” A pillar, a pier. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Italian as pilastro. Settled in Italian for a rectangular column projecting from a wall. It reached English by 1570s as pilaster. Italian 'pilastro', from Latin 'pila', pillar. Today, pilaster means a rectangular architectural column that projects slightly from a wall.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient pila "a pillar", a pillar, a pier.
2. Stage 2 · Italian · 1500s pilastro "a rectangular column set into a wall", settled in Italian for a rectangular column projecting from a wall.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1570s pilaster "a rectangular column projecting slightly from a wall", Italian 'pilastro', from Latin 'pila', pillar.