Guillotine
/ˈɡɪlətiːn/noun
A device used for carrying out executions by decapitation.
Did you know?The guillotine was named after Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, who advocated for a more humane method of execution during the French Revolution, yet it became synonymous with mass executions.
Etymological Timeline
Late 18th Century
French
guillotine
“Named after Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, it referred to an execution device designed for swift decapitation.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
gula
“Meaning 'throat', reflecting the device's purpose of cutting through it.”
Old French
Old French
gillet
“A small blade or sharp instrument used in various contexts, hinting at the violent history of cutting.”
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*gildō
“To pay or to offer, connecting to concepts of sacrifice and payment for crimes.”