Where does “callow” come from?

Callow comes from Middle English calwe, from Old English calu, from Proto-Germanic kalwaz, from Proto-Indo-European galw-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gelH-.

callow (English): Unfledged; Immature, lacking in life experience;...

Definitions

  1. Unfledged; Immature, lacking in life experience;...

Ancestry of “callow”, step by step

callow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English calwe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcalwebald
2Latincaulaea railing or lattice barrier; hurdles
3Proto-Italickaɣela—
4Proto-Indo-Europeankagʰ-to take, seize

via Irish caladh

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Irishcaladhlanding
2Old Irishcaladshore, port, landing-place; land
3Proto-Celtickaletoshard
4Proto-Indo-Europeankal-hard; beautiful; handsome

Words derived from “callow”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kagʰ- →