Costa
/ˈkɒs.tə/noun
A ridge, rib, or side; in anatomy, one of the curved bones of the thorax.
Did you know?In Latin, *costa* meant both “rib” and “side,” and that same ancient body-root helped shape words for the edge of land — a reminder that language often maps the body onto the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱost-
“side, rib”
Latin
Latin
costa
“rib; side”
Late Latin
Latin
costa
“rib; side”
Old French
Old French
coste
“side; rib; slope; coast”
Middle English
English
coste
“side; shore; coast”
Modern English
English
costa
“rib; a riblike ridge or part”