baldric

The story

1. Frankish · derived from*(ga)raidī“equipment”
2. Etruscan · derived from𐌁𐌀𐌋𐌕𐌄𐌀“belt”
3. Latin · derived frombalteus
4. Frankish · derived from*balti“belt”
5. Frankish · derived from*balterād
6. Old French · derived frombaldré
7. Middle English · inherited frombaudrik
8. English todaybaldric

From Middle English baudrik, bauderik, baudry (“belt worn over the shoulder or around the waist for carrying a sword, etc., baldric; (by extension) type of leather strap”), from Old French baldré, baldrei, baudré (“crossbelt, sword-belt”) (modern French baudrier); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Frankish *balterād, from earlier *baltiraidī (“belt gear, belt equipment”) (compare Old Occitan baldrei, baudrat), from Frankish *balti (“belt”), from Latin balteus (possibly borrowed from Etruscan 𐌁𐌀𐌋𐌕𐌄𐌀 (baltea, “belt”)) + Frankish *(ga)raidī (“equipment”). However, the Oxford English Dictionary states that a derivation from balteus does not satisfactorily account for the bald- spelling in the various languages. Middle High German balderich, belderich, derived from the Old French word, may have influenced the Middle English form. Sense 2.3 (“zodiac”) is from its resemblance to a belt ornamented with jewels (sense 1).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. A broad belt, originally of leather and often richly ornamented, worn diagonally from shoulder to hip (across the breast and under the opposite arm), which was formerly used to hold a sword, a bugle, etc., and is now chiefly worn for ceremonial purposes; also (loosely), any belt.