Cage and Jail Come From the Same Latin Word
A cage is an enclosure of bars for confining animals. Its Latin ancestor also produced the word for a prison.
A cage is an enclosure of bars or wire for confining birds or animals. Latin *cavea*, a hollow or enclosure, gave French *cage* and, through a diminutive form, also *gaol* and *jail* — so a birdcage and a prison cell are linguistic cousins. *Cavea* itself comes from *cavus*, hollow, which also gives *cave* and *cavity*. A *cage* is also the lift that carries miners down a shaft.
- An enclosure of bars. *A bird cage.*
- To confine. *Caged animals.*
- A mine lift. *The cage descended.*
- Jail — the same Latin root. *A jail.*
- Latin — *cavea*, a hollow. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cage | A cage. |
| Plural | cages | Cages. |
| Verb | cage | Caged. |
| Adjective | caged | Caged. |
| Latin | cavea | An enclosure. |
- The parrot escaped its cage.Bird.
- The miners rode the cage down.Mining.
- Cage and jail share a root.Etymology.
The hollow family
- Cave — from Latin *cavus*, hollow
- Cavity — a hollow space
- Cage — from *cavea*, an enclosure
- Jail and gaol — from a diminutive of the same word
- Excavate — to hollow out
Old French *cage*, from Latin *cavea*, an enclosure or cage, from *cavus*, hollow.
Are cage and jail related?
Yes. Both come from Latin cavea, an enclosure, arriving in English by different French routes.
What is a cage in mining?
The lift that carries miners and equipment up and down a vertical shaft.