Etymology

oppidum

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Today it means: A large, defended Iron Age settlement associated with the Celtic La Tène culture. Full definition →

First used 19th c.Latin oppidum ← Proto-Italic *op(i)pedom ← Proto-Indo-European *pédom
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
  4. Proto-Indo-European*ped-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*pédom
  6. Proto-Italic*op(i)pedom
  7. Latinoppidum
  8. English todayoppidum

Unadapted borrowing from Latin oppidum (“(chiefly walled or fortified) town”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. A large, defended Iron Age settlement associated with the Celtic La Tène culture.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.