Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cinquefoil” come from?

cinquefoil (English) comes from Old French cinqfoil, from Old French foil, from Latin folium, from Proto-Italic *foljom, from Proto-Indo-European bʰolh₃yom, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

cinquefoil (English): A potentilla; A stylized flower or leaf with five...

Definitions

  1. A potentilla; A stylized flower or leaf with five...

Ancestry of “cinquefoil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcinqfoil—
2Old Frenchfoilleaf
3Latinfoliuma leaf; a petal; a sheet or leaf of paper
4Proto-Italic*foljom—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰolh₃yomleaf
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →