Etymology

crenellation

cre·nel·lat·ion
C3R1E1N1E1L1L1A1T1I1O1N1

Today it means: A pattern along the top of a parapet (fortified wall), most often in the form of multiple, regular, rectangular spaces in the top of the wall, through which arrows or other weaponry may be shot, especially as used in medieval European architecture. Full definition →

French créneler ← Old French crenel ← Latin *crēnella
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The story

  1. Latin · derived from*crēnella
  2. Old French · derived fromcrenel“crenel, embrasure”
  3. French · derived fromcréneler“to form the shape of a crenel, crenellate”
  4. English todaycrenellation

From crenellate + -ion (suffix indicating an action or process, or its result). Crenellate is derived from French créneler (“to form the shape of a crenel, crenellate”), from Old French crenel (“crenel, embrasure”) (modern French créneau) (from Latin *crēnella, diminutive of crēna (“incision; notch”); compare Old French cren (“a notch”)) + -er (suffix forming infinitives of first conjugation verbs).

Words from the same roots

Old Frenchcrenel all →

crenelcrenelate

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.