Etymograph

English

promontory

Promontory comes from Medieval Latin prōmineō ‘to stand or jut out’.

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500prōmineō1‘to stand or jut out’
  2. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500prōmontōrium1
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1857promontory1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English promontory
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1857, Hugh Miller: “Leaving behind us the town at the bottom of…”.

Lineage

  1. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500prōmineōWiktionary, English promontory‘to stand or jut out’
  2. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500prōmontōriumWiktionary, English promontory
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1857promontoryWiktionary, English promontory. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1857, Hugh Miller: “Leaving behind us the town at the bottom of…”

Linked words

through Medieval Latin prōmineō ‘to stand or jut out’

prominent, prominence

Today it means

noun A high point of land extending into a body of water, headland; cliff.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “promontory”. 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 / Medieval Latin prōmineō / promontory

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