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.
Ancestry of “Holly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | holly | Alternative form of holy |
| 2 | Old English | holeġn | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hulis | holly |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kel- | to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet |
Words derived from “Holly”