Cisterna
/sɪˈstɜːrnə/noun
A reservoir or tank for storing water.
Did you know?Latin cisterna comes from cista, a basket or box, ultimately tied to a root for “container,” showing how a humble storage word became the name for underground water vaults.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kist-
“to box up, contain, or enclose”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kistē
“a box, basket, or chest”
Classical Latin
Latin
cista
“a box, chest, or basket”
Classical Latin
Latin
cisterna
“a water storage tank or reservoir”
Middle English
English
cisterne
“a reservoir or tank for collecting water”
Modern English
English
cisterna
“a reservoir or tank for storing water”