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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin and Etymology of the word
KEY.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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KEY,
that which opens or shuts a lock. (E.) Formerly called kay,
riming with may, Merch. of Ven. ii. 7. 59; and with survey, Shak.
Sonnet 52. M.E. keye (riming with pleye, to play),
Chaucer, C.T. 9918.—A.S. cæg, cæge, Grein, i. 156; whence M.E.
keye by the usual change of g into y, as in day from A.S.
dæg. + O. Fries. kai, kei, a key.
β. The gen. case of the A.S. fem. sb. cæge is
cægan,
so that the base of the word takes the form KAGAN. The remoter
origin is unknown, but the form of the base renders any connection with quay
extremely improbable. See Quay, a word of Celtic origin.
Der. key-board, key-hole, key-note, key-stone.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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