Parquet
/pɑːrˈkeɪ/noun
A patterned floor made from small pieces of wood fitted together.
Did you know?In French, parquet also developed a legal meaning for an enclosed courtroom or prosecutor’s office, preserving the ancient idea of a bounded space.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin / Early Germanic influence
Latin/Germanic
parricus / *parruk
“An enclosed or fenced place; the deeper origin is debated, but it is associated with Germanic words for an enclosure.”
12th Century
Old French
parc
“A fenced enclosure, especially a park or enclosed tract of land.”
17th Century
French
parquet
“A small enclosed area; the diminutive form of parc, later applied to a section or compartment of flooring.”
17th–18th Century
French
parquet
“Decorative wood flooring assembled from small pieces in geometric patterns.”
19th Century
English
parquet
“A patterned wooden floor, adopted from French.”
Modern English
English
parquet
“Wood flooring arranged in decorative geometric designs, such as herringbone or chevron.”