Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coil” come from?

Coil comes from Middle French coillir, from Latin colligo meaning to gather together, ultimately from Latin ligo meaning to bind.

coil (English): Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral;...

Definitions

  1. Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral;...

Ancestry of “coil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcoilen—
2Old Frenchcoillirto pick
3Old Frenchcueil—
4Old Frenchcueudrealternative infinitive of coillir
5Latincolligō—
6Latincom-allomorph of con-
7Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
8Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
9Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
10Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankitt—
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
18Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
19Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “coil”

  • uncoil
  • telecoil
  • supercoil
  • overcoil
  • microcoil
  • coiler
  • intercoil
  • coilin
  • coilover
  • coily
  • coileth
  • coilless
  • coilability
  • upcoil
  • coilgun
  • chokecoil
  • コイル
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →