Elevator
/ˈɛl.ɪ.veɪ.tər/noun
A machine or device for lifting people or goods vertically, especially between floors.
Did you know?Elevator comes from Latin *elevare*, meaning “to raise up,” built from *e-* (“out”) + *levare* (“make light, lift”), so the word’s ancient core is literally about making something rise.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*legwh-
“to be light, easy”
Latin
Latin
levis
“light in weight; not heavy”
Latin
Latin
levare
“to raise, lift up”
Late Latin
Latin
elevare
“to raise up, exalt”
14th Century
English
elevatour
“one who or that which raises or lifts”
Modern English
English
elevator
“a device for lifting people or things vertically”