Where does “Geel” come from?
Geel (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch gelu, from Old Dutch gelo, from Proto-West Germanic gelu, from Proto-Germanic gelwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.
Ancestry of “Geel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | gelu | — |
| 2 | Old Dutch | gelo | yellow |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | gelu | yellow |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gelwaz | yellow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃wós | yellow, green |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃- | to flourish; green, yellow |