Etymograph

English

schola

Schola comes from Latin schola ‘Leisure time given to learning’, from Proto-Hellenic *skʰolā́ ‘holding back’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- ‘to hold’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seǵʰ-1‘to hold’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sǵʰ-h₃-l-éh₂1uncertain
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*skʰolā́1‘holding back’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσχολή2‘leisure, free time’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEschola3‘Leisure time given to learning’
  6. Englishtodayschola3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σχολή
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin schola
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English schola

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seǵʰ-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σχολή‘to hold’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sǵʰ-h₃-l-éh₂Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σχολήuncertain
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*skʰolā́Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σχολή‘holding back’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσχολήWiktionary, Latin schola‘leisure, free time’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEscholaWiktionary, English schola‘Leisure time given to learning’
  6. EnglishtodayscholaWiktionary, English schola

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- ‘to hold’

severe, sketch, severity, hector, perseverance, hectic, epoch, schema, 24 more

through Latin schola ‘Leisure time given to learning’

school, shul, 1 more

Today it means

noun Originally, a musical school attached to a monastery or church. Also known as a schola cantorum.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “schola”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek σχολή, Latin schola. 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 *seǵʰ- / schola

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