Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Coca-Cola” come from?

Coca-Cola (English) comes from English COLA, from Spanish cola, from Vulgar Latin coda, from Latin cauda, from Proto-Italic kaudā, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂udeh₂.

Ancestry of “Coca-Cola”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCOLAAcronym of cost of living adjustment
2Spanishcolatail; line , queue; empennage, aircraft tail
3Vulgar Latincodatail
4LatincaudaA tail
5Proto-Italickaudātail
6Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂udeh₂—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂udeh₂ →