anchor

anchor · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂enk-der.?
2. Ancient Greekᾰ̓́γκῡρᾰ (ắnkūră)bor.?
3. Latinancora
4. Proto-Germanic*ankurô
5. Proto-West Germanic*ankurō
6. Old Englishancor
7. Middle Englishanker
8. English todayanchor

From Middle English anker, from Old English ancor, ancra, from Latin ancora, from (or cognate with) Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura). The modern form is a sixteenth-century modification after the Medieval Latin spelling anchora. Doublet of ancora, anker, angora, and Ankara.

anchor · verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromanchoren
2. English todayanchor

From Middle English anchoren, ankeren, either from the noun or perhaps (via Old French ancrer) from a Medieval Latin verb ancorare, from the same Latin word ancora.

anchor · noun³

1. Latin · derived fromanachōrēta
2. Old English · inherited fromancer
3. Middle English · inherited fromankre
4. English todayanchor

Inherited from Middle English ankre, ancre, from Old English ancer, ancra, from Latin anachōrēta, anachōrīta, either with significant shortening of the word within Old English or via an unattested Old Irish form.

anchor · noun⁴

Alternative form.

Anchor · proper noun⁵

From anchor (“mooring device”).

Words from the same roots