Etymology Map
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Silo

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a tower or pit for storing grain or silage

Where does the word "silo" come from? It comes from Greek siros, passing through Latin and Spanish before entering English (1830s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
siros
Greek · ancient
"grain pit"
a pit for storing grain
2
Stage 2 of 4
sirus
Latin · ancient
"grain pit"
an underground grain store
3
Stage 3 of 4
silo
Spanish · medieval
"grain pit"
an underground grain store, common in Spain
4
Stage 4 of 4
silo
English · 1830s
"storage tower"
tower silos spread on American farms in the 1880s; missile silos date from the 1950s
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Read the full story

Silo’s story begins in Greek: siros meant “grain pit.” A pit for storing grain. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as sirus. An underground grain store. From there it passed into Spanish as silo by medieval. An underground grain store, common in Spain. It reached English by 1830s as silo. Tower silos spread on American farms in the 1880s; missile silos date from the 1950s. Today, silo means a tower or pit for storing grain or silage.