quintain

The story

1. Latin · derived fromquīntāna“street separating fifth and sixth maniples in a Roman camp”
2. Middle French · derived fromquintaine
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromquintaine
4. English todayquintain

From Anglo-Norman quintaine, quinteine, Middle French quintaine, probably from Latin quīntāna (“street separating fifth and sixth maniples in a Roman camp”), feminine form of quīntānus (“pertaining to the fifth”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. An object (generally a post or plank on a support) set up as a target to be tilted at in jousting, or otherwise used as target practice.