Etymology

altar

al·tar
A1L1T1A1R1

Today it means: A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites. Full definition →

Middle English auter ← Old English altar ← Old French auter
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromaltāre
  2. Old French · borrowed fromauter
  3. Old English · inherited fromaltar
  4. Middle English · inherited fromauter
  5. English todayaltar

Inherited from Middle English auter, inherited from Old English altar and borrowed from Old French auter, both derived from Latin altāre, probably related to adolere (“burn”); thus "burning place", influenced by altus (“high”). Displaced native Middle English wēved.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.