Where does “golf” come from?

golf (Dutch) comes from English golf, from Middle Dutch colve, from Proto-Germanic *kulbaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

golf (Dutch): wave; gulf; golf

Definitions

  1. wave; gulf; golf

Ancestry of “golf”, step by step

golf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English golf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgolfA ball game played by individuals competing...
2Middle Dutchcolve—
3Proto-Germanic*kulbazround object, lump
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

via Middle Dutch gelve

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchgelve—
2Proto-Germanicgelbaną—

Words derived from “golf”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *kulbaz →Every word from Middle Dutch colve →