stylus

Where does the word "stylus" come from? It comes from Latin stylus, and was adopted directly into English (1690s).

Stylus’s story begins in Latin: stylus meant “writing stake.” A misspelling of 'stilus' influenced by Greek 'stylos', pillar. It reached English by 1690s as stylus. Record-player styluses date from the 1900s. Today, stylus means a pointed tool for writing or touchscreens.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient stylus "writing stake", a misspelling of 'stilus' influenced by Greek 'stylos', pillar.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1690s stylus "writing tool", record-player styluses date from the 1900s.