Where does “could” come from?
Could derives from Middle English coude, from Old English cudu, from Old English codd, from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-, ultimately from Latin cubare meaning to lie down.
could (English): simple past tense of can; conditional of can;...
Definitions
- simple past tense of can; conditional of can;...
Ancestry of “could”, step by step
could traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ICH
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ICH | Initialism of intracranial hemorrhage; Initialism... |
| 2 | English | ichthyophthiriasis | A parasitic infection of freshwater fish caused... |
| 3 | English | Ichthyophthirius | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἰχθύς | fish |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀετός | eagle; the constellation Aquila; omen |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | ayyetós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ewyetós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éwis | bird |
via Middle English coude
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | coude | Alternative form of code |
| 2 | Old English | cūþe | clearly |
| 3 | Old English | cunnan | to know, to be familiar with; can, to know how |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kunnan | to recognise; to know how, to be able |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kunnaną | to know, to be familiar with, to recognise; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵneh₃- | to know |