Where does “colder” come from?
Colder comes from Middle English colder, from Old English cald and ċeald, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gel-, meaning to freeze or be cold.
colder (English): comparative form of cold: more cold
Definitions
- comparative form of cold: more cold
Ancestry of “colder”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cold | Having a low temperature; Causing the air to be... |
| 2 | Middle English | cold | cold, cool; having a tendency to be cold;... |
| 3 | Old English | cald | Alternative form of ċeald |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *kald | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kaldaz | cold |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kalaną | to be cold, to freeze |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |