Where does “coldness” come from?
Coldness comes from Middle English coldnesse, from Old English cealdnys, a noun formation from the adjective meaning cold.
coldness (English): The relative lack of heat; The sensation...
Definitions
- The relative lack of heat; The sensation...
Ancestry of “coldness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | coldnesse | Coldness; a lack of heat |
| 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 |