balustrade

The story

1. Semitic · derived from
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromβαλαύστιον
3. Latin · derived frombalaustium
4. Italian · derived frombalaustrata“with balusters”
5. French · borrowed frombalustrade
6. English todaybalustrade

Unadapted borrowing from French balustrade, from Italian balaustrata (“with balusters”), from balaustro (“baluster”), from balausta (“wild pomegranate flower”), via Latin balaustium, from Ancient Greek βαλαύστιον (balaústion), from Semitic, compare Classical Syriac ܒܠܳܨܳܐ (blāṣā, “pomegranate shoot”)). So named because of resemblance to the swelling form of the half-open pomegranate flower. Also see baluster.

Words from the same roots