vault

vault · noun, verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromvolūta
2. Vulgar Latin · derived from*volta
3. Old French · derived fromvolte
4. Middle English · inherited fromvaute
5. English todayvault

From Middle English vaute, vowte, from Old French volte (modern voûte), from Vulgar Latin *volta < *volvita or *volŭta, a regularization of Latin volūta (compare modern volute (“spire”)), the past participle of volvere (“roll, turn”). Cognate with Spanish vuelta (“turn”) and Portuguese volta ("turn"). Doublet of volute. Displaced native Old English hwealf.

vault · verb, noun²

1. Latin · derived fromvolvere
2. Italian · derived fromvoltare
3. Middle French · borrowed fromvolter“to turn or spin around; to frolic”
4. English todayvault

Borrowed from Middle French volter (“to turn or spin around; to frolic”), borrowed from Italian voltare, itself from a Vulgar Latin frequentative form of Latin volvere; later assimilated to Etymology 1, above.

Words from the same roots