Etymograph

English

postilion

Postilion may come from Italian postiglione ‘guide for driver of post-coach’, from Latin pōnō ‘to put’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-1‘to build, cultivate’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinéti1uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinō1‘to put in place’uncertain
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*sinō2‘to put in place’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnō3‘to put’uncertain
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEposita3uncertainpast participle of pōnō
  7. Italianc. 1300–presentposta4‘post’uncertain
  8. Italianc. 1300–presentpostiglione4‘guide for driver of post-coach’uncertain
  9. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600postillon4
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1768postilion4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin sino
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin pono
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Italian posta
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English postilion
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1768, Mr. Yorick pseudonym; Laurence Sterne, Montreuil: “C’est un garcon de bonne fortune, said the landlord,…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱey-Wiktionary, Latin sino‘to build, cultivate’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tḱinétiWiktionary, Latin sinouncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sinōWiktionary, Latin sino‘to put in place’uncertain
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CE*sinōWiktionary, Latin pono‘to put in place’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpōnōWiktionary, Italian posta‘to put’uncertain
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpositaWiktionary, Italian postauncertainpast participle of pōnō
  7. Italianc. 1300–presentpostaWiktionary, English postilion‘post’uncertain
  8. Italianc. 1300–presentpostiglioneWiktionary, English postilion‘guide for driver of post-coach’uncertain
  9. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600postillonWiktionary, English postilion
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1768postilionWiktionary, English postilion. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1768, Mr. Yorick pseudonym; Laurence Sterne, Montreuil: “C’est un garcon de bonne fortune, said the landlord,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- ‘to build, cultivate’

homeless, suppose, compound, hamlet, impose, bohemian, homely, hame, 48 more

through Proto-Italic *sinō ‘to put in place’

opposition, proposition, exposition, disposition, deposition, imposition, suppository, compositor, apposite, presupposition, prepositional, 37 more

through Latin *sinō ‘to put in place’

site, situation, composition, situate, situs, positivism, supposition, preposition, compostela, 14 more

through Latin pōnō ‘to put’

purpose, positive, position, opposite, opponent, propose, expose, dispose, repository, posture, compose, consolation, proponent, compost, exponent, posit, expound, presuppose, pone, impost, 51 more

Today it means

noun A rider mounted on the near (left) leading horse who guides the team pulling a carriage.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “postilion”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin sino, Latin pono, Italian posta. 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 *tḱey- / postilion

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