Where does “Pole” come from?

Pole comes from German Polen, derived from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂-, related to Ancient Greek -ηνός and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pel-, meaning to fill or be full.

Pole (English): A person from Poland or of Polish descent

Definitions

  1. A person from Poland or of Polish descent

Ancestry of “Pole”, step by step

Pole traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English pole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpolepole, stake, staff
2Old Frenchpoulehen
3Vulgar Latinpullanominative feminine singular of pullus;...
4LatinpullusA young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanpolHwóspale, gray
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpelH-pale, gray

via Middle French pôle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchpôle—
2Old Frenchpole—
3Latinpoluspole
4Ancient Greekπόλοςpivot, hinge, axis, pole; axis of the celestial...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

via German Pole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanPolePole; plural of Pol
2Proto-Slavicpȍľefield
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₂-flat

Words derived from “Pole”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pelH- →