Etymology Map
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Tablet

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a pill; a flat slab; a portable computer

Where does the word "tablet" come from? It comes from Latin tabula, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
tabula
Latin · ancient
"board, tablet"
the root of 'table'
2
Stage 2 of 3
tablete
Old French · medieval
"small slab"
a diminutive for writing tablets
3
Stage 3 of 3
tablet
English · 1300s
"small flat slab"
medicinal 'tablets' date from the 1500s; computer tablets from the 2000s
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Read the full story

Tablet’s story begins in Latin: tabula meant “board, tablet.” The root of 'table'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as tablete. A diminutive for writing tablets. It reached English by 1300s as tablet. Medicinal 'tablets' date from the 1500s; computer tablets from the 2000s. Today, tablet means a pill; a flat slab; a portable computer.