Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ceiling” come from?

Ceiling comes from Middle English ceilyng, from Old French ciel meaning "sky," from Latin caelum, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeh₁bʰ- meaning "to grasp or enclose."

ceiling (English): The overhead closure of a room; The upper limit...

Definitions

  1. The overhead closure of a room; The upper limit...

Ancestry of “ceiling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcelingpaneling; cover or hanging
2Middle Englishcelento cover or panel walls
3Old Frenchcelerto conceal
4Latincelō—

Words derived from “ceiling”

  • ceilinged
  • ceil
  • Celotex
  • ceilingward
  • ceilingwards
  • ceilingless
  • subceiling
  • unceilinged
  • ceiler
  • ciel
  • silver ceiling
  • brass ceiling
  • rainbow ceiling
  • pink ceiling
  • glass ceiling
  • ceilinglike
  • síleáil
  • silin
  • sili
Every word from Latin celō →