Where does “cos” come from?
Cos is a shortening of English because, which derives from Middle English bi cause, combining Middle English bi (from Old English bī, from Latin causa meaning reason or cause) with cause.
cos (English): A variety of lettuce with long, crisp leaves;...
Definitions
- A variety of lettuce with long, crisp leaves;...
Ancestry of “cos”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 'cause | Aphetic form of because |
| 2 | English | because | By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that |
| 3 | Middle English | bi cause | — |
| 4 | Middle English | bi | by |
| 5 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |