Where does “cottonous” come from?

cottonous (English) comes from English ous, from English ou, from Afrikaans ou, from Dutch oud, from Middle Dutch out, from Old Dutch ald, from Proto-West Germanic ald, from Proto-Germanic aldaz — to grow, nourish.

cottonous (English): Resembling cotton

Definitions

  1. Resembling cotton

Ancestry of “cottonous”, step by step

cottonous traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ous

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishousplural of ou
2EnglishouA probably extinct species of Hawaiian...
3AfrikaansouAn old fellow, guy, bloke; attributive form of...
4Dutchoudold
5Middle Dutchoutold
6Old Dutchald—
7Proto-West Germanicaldold
8Proto-Germanicaldazold, grown up
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eltós—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂él-to grow, nourish

via English Cotton

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCottonThe name of several settlements around the world
2Middle Englishcotoun—
3Anglo-Normancotun—
4Middle Englishcotoncotton fiber of
5Old Frenchcotouncotton; a piece of cotton
6Italiancotonecotton; cotton wool
7Arabicقُطُن—
8Arabicقُطْنcotton
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂él- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eltós →Every word from Proto-Germanic aldaz →