palafitte

noun

pal·​a·​fitte

ˈpaləˌfit,

-fēt

plural palafittes

-ts

also palafitti

ˌ⸗⸗ˈfitē,

-ˈfētē

: an ancient dwelling built on piles over a lake

specifically : a Neolithic lake dwelling in Switzerland or northern Italy

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian palafitta, from palo stake, pile (from Latin palus) + fitto fixed, past participle of figgere to fix, from Latin figere to fix, fasten

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