The posting on the shocking shoeless shopper led me to think about “ped~” words, and to look at the derivation of the word “pediment”. It had always been in the back of my mind as an oddity, having no obvious connection with feet or any of the other “ped~” beginnings, but I had not looked it up. I came up with the expected definitions:

\Ped"i*ment\, n. [L. pes, pedis, a foot. See Foot.] (Arch.) Originally, in classical architecture, the triangular space forming the gable of a simple roof; hence, a similar form used as a decoration over porticoes, doors, windows, etc.; also, a rounded or broken frontal having a similar position and use.
Geology. A broad, gently sloping rock surface at the base of a steeper slope, often covered with alluvium, formed primarily by erosion.

Still, why the foot connection when it seemed to describe something placed in a superior position? Then I noticed a secondary note:

Alteration (influenced by Latin pes, ped-, foot), of earlier perement, probably alteration of pyramid.

So it seems that the term changed from pyramid to perement to pediment through a misassociation (is that a word? It should be), and the connection with feet is accidental. I suspect this interesting type of transition is not uncommon, is anyone aware of other well known examples ?

dxb