coussin (French)
Where does "coussin" come from?
The French noun 'coussin' traces its history back to the Latin term 'coxa' meaning 'hip' or 'thigh'. By the time it reached Vulgar Latin, the word evolved into 'coxīnus' to describe a 'seat pad' intended for the hips. This form likely developed its specific suffix through the influence of the Latin word 'pulvīnus' which meant 'pillow'. From there, it moved into Old French as 'coissin' before eventually becoming the modern French 'coussin' that refers to a cushion for comfort or support.
Full etymology tree
- coussin (French), 'cushion'
- inherited coussin (Middle French)
- inherited coissin (Old French), 'cushion (soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag used for comfort or support)'
- inherited coxīnus (Latin), 'cushion, pillow'
- derived coxa (Latin), 'hip (joint), hipbone'
- inherited *koksā (Proto-Italic), 'hip, joint'
- inherited *koḱs- (Proto-Indo-European), 'joint'
- inherited *koksā (Proto-Italic), 'hip, joint'
- affix -īnus (Latin), 'Of or pertaining to; -ine; Can indicate a relationship of position, possession, or origin.'
- influence pulvīnus (Latin), 'cushion, pillow, bolster'
- derived coxa (Latin), 'hip (joint), hipbone'
- inherited coxīnus (Latin), 'cushion, pillow'
- inherited coissin (Old French), 'cushion (soft mass of material stuffed into a cloth bag used for comfort or support)'
- inherited coussin (Middle French)
Ancestors
- coissin (Old French)
- coxinus (Latin)
- coxa (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- kuseno (Esperanto)
- coussinet (French)
- coussinette (French)
- coussin péteur (French)
- کوسن (Persian)
- coxim (Portuguese)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris