Key
/kiː/noun
A device used to open or lock something, or a thing that provides access or control.
Did you know?English key is related to Latin cuneus, meaning “wedge,” a root that also gave us words like “cuneiform,” because early writing itself was literally wedge-shaped.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱey-
“to lie down; to rest”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ki- / *kē-
“a key or fastening device”
Old English
OE
cǣg
“a key, especially a metal instrument for opening a lock”
Middle English
ME
key
“a key; also a means of access or control”
Modern English
English
key
“a device for opening locks; by extension, a crucial means of access or explanation”