Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “couch” come from?

Couch comes from Old French colchier, from Latin colloco, combining Latin con- with a root meaning to place or lay down.

couch (English): An item of furniture, often upholstered, for the...

Definitions

  1. An item of furniture, often upholstered, for the...

Ancestry of “couch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishcoucheA bed; A bedroom; the room where one sleeps in; A...
2Old Frenchcouche—
3Old Frenchcouchierto go to bed; to have sex; bedtime
4Latincollocō—
5Latincōn-—
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “couch”

  • couchless
  • couchlike
  • couchside
  • couchbound
  • couchable
  • couch doctor
  • couchful
  • couchlock
  • couch potato
  • recouch
  • couchness
  • Couch
  • カウチ
  • kauč
  • кауч
  • 카우치
  • gauč
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →