quay
Meaning
Synonyms
landing place
landing-stage
staithe
landing for boats
WARF
bulkhead wall
basal corpuscle
bulkhead quay wall
water terminal
quay shipside
base stock
Translations
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/kiː/
Etymology
In summary
The current spelling replaced the spelling key in the 1690s to emulate the spelling but (at least originally) not the pronunciation of the equivalent modern French quai. From Middle English kay, key, kaye, keye, from Old French kay, cail, from Gaulish *kagyum, cagiíun (“enclosure”), from Proto-Celtic *kagyom (“pen, enclosure”) (compare Welsh cae (“field”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). Doublet of hedge and hey (“choreographic figure”).
Notes
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