morceau

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)merd-“to rub, wipe; to pack, rob”
2. Latin · derived frommorsum“a bit”
3. Medieval Latin · derived frommorsellum“a bit, a little piece”
4. Old French · derived frommorsel
5. French · borrowed frommorceau
6. English todaymorceau

From French morceau, from Old French morsel, from Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, past participle of mordeō, mordēre (“bite, nibble, gnaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to rub, wipe; to pack, rob”). Doublet of morsel.

Words from the same roots