Cardo
/ˈkɑːr.doʊ/noun
A Latin noun meaning a hinge or pivot; by extension, a principal street running north-south in a Roman city.
Did you know?In ancient Rome, the cardo was the main north-south street, and the word comes from the same root as English *cardinal*—because something “cardinal” is literally a pivot-point or hinge of importance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ker-
“to turn, bend, or move in a curved motion”
Latin
Latin
cardo
“a hinge, pivot, or axle”
Late Latin
Latin
cardo
“the main north-south street in a Roman town, conceived as the city’s hinge”
Old French
Old French
cardon
“a thistle or artichoke-like plant (via a different Latin development, often connected in form but not the same sense)”
English
English
cardinal
“chief, principal; also a high-ranking church official, originally something serving as a pivot or basis”