Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Cologne” come from?

Cologne comes from French Cologne, derived from Latin colonia meaning settlement, from colonus meaning settler, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- meaning to dwell.

Ancestry of “Cologne”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchCologne—
2Old FrenchCologne—
3Latincolōnia—
4Latincolōnus—
5Latincolō—
6Latinquelō—
7Proto-Italickʷelō—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
9Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “Cologne”

  • Cologner
  • Colognian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →