Where does “Holly” come from?

Holly (English) comes from Middle English holly, from Old English holeġn, from Proto-West Germanic hulis, from Proto-Indo-European kel- — to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet.

Holly (English): Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas

Definitions

  1. Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas

Ancestry of “Holly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishhollyAlternative form of holy
2Old Englishholeġn—
3Proto-West Germanichulisholly
4Proto-Indo-Europeankel-to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet

Words derived from “Holly”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kel- →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hulis →Every word from Old English holeġn →