Castra
/ˈkæs.trə/noun
A Roman military camp or fortified encampment.
Did you know?The singular form behind *castra* was often treated as a place-name, and its descendants helped shape words for military camps across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kes-
“to cut, scrape, or incise”
Proto-Italic
Italic
*kastrō
“fortified enclosure; military camp”
Latin
Latin
castra
“military camp, fortified encampment”
Late Latin
Latin
castrum
“fortified place; camp (singular reinterpretation)”
Old English
English
ceaster
“Roman fort or fortified town”
Modern English
English
chester
“a place-name element from Roman fort sites”
Explore more surprising origins