Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coaly” come from?

coaly (English) comes from English coal, from Middle English col, from Old English cōl, from Proto-West Germanic kōl(ī), from Proto-Germanic kōluz, from Proto-Germanic kalaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

coaly (English): Resembling coal; Covered in, or containing, coal

Definitions

  1. Resembling coal; Covered in, or containing, coal

Ancestry of “coaly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcoalA black rock formed from prehistoric plant...
2Middle Englishcolcole; coal
3Old Englishcōlcool, cold, tranquil, calm
4Proto-West Germanickōl(ī)cool
5Proto-Germanickōluzcool
6Proto-Germanickalanąto be cold, to freeze
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →