English
acroterion
Acroterion comes from Ancient Greek ἀκρωτήριον ‘cape, headland, promontory’, from ἄκρος ‘at the edge’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-1‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrós2‘sharp’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄκρος3‘at the edge’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκρωτήριον3akrōtḗrion‘cape, headland, promontory’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009acroterion3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἄκρος
- 3 Wiktionary, English acroterion
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2009, Elisabetta Povoledo, Danish Museum Resists Return of Disputed Artifacts: “They include an acroterion, or pediment decoration, of a…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱrósWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἄκρος‘sharp’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄκροςWiktionary, English acroterion‘at the edge’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκρωτήριονWiktionary, English acroterionakrōtḗrion‘cape, headland, promontory’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009acroterionWiktionary, English acroterion. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2009, Elisabetta Povoledo, Danish Museum Resists Return of Disputed Artifacts: “They include an acroterion, or pediment decoration, of a…”
The story
Latinized form of Ancient Greek ἀκρωτήριον (akrōtḗrion), from ἄκρος (ákros) + -τήριον (-tḗrion). Semi-Latinized form.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’
hear, edge, egg, ear, acid, hammer, axe, oxide, acute, acne, acupuncture, paragon, acetate, acacia, hark, acumen, acme, acuity, acyl, rosacea, roselle, 71 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós ‘sharp’
eager, vinegar, mediocre, mediocrity, exacerbate, acerbic, acrid, exacerbation, acrimony, 12 more
Today it means
noun —
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “acroterion”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱrós, Ancient Greek ἄκρος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / acroterion