Etymograph

English

trepan

Trepan comes from Latin trepanum, and goes back to Ancient Greek τρύπανον ‘auger, borer’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτρύπανον1trúpanon‘auger, borer’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrepanum1
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400trepan1
  4. Englishtodaytrepan1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English trepan

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτρύπανονWiktionary, English trepantrúpanon‘auger, borer’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrepanumWiktionary, English trepan
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400trepanWiktionary, English trepan
  4. EnglishtodaytrepanWiktionary, English trepan

Every English word from Ancient Greek τρύπανον

Today it means

noun A tool used to bore through rock when sinking shafts.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “trepan”. 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 / Ancient Greek τρύπανον / trepan

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