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
4Latincelōto hide (something from someone), cover, keep a secret, conceal

Words derived from “ceiling”

Every word from Latin celō →