Where does “charcoal” come from?

Charcoal derives from Middle English charcole, from Middle English cole, from Old English cawel, from Latin caulis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gel-.

charcoal (English): Impure carbon obtained by destructive...

Definitions

  1. Impure carbon obtained by destructive...

Ancestry of “charcoal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcharcole—
2Middle Englishcharrento change, turn
3Old Englishċierranto turn, convert; to turn, change, turn oneself,...
4Proto-Germanickarzijanąto turn, sweep
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵers-to turn, bend, twist; to twist; to plait things...

Words derived from “charcoal”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵers- →Every word from Proto-Germanic karzijaną →Every word from Old English ċierran →