Where does “coup” come from?
Coup comes from French coup, from Old French colp, from Ancient Greek κόλπος, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-, meaning to strike or hollow out.
coup (English): A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act; A...
Definitions
- A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act; A...
Ancestry of “coup”, step by step
coup traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French coup
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | coup | blow, hit, strike; fast and instantaneous action;... |
| 2 | Old French | colp | strike; hit |
| 3 | Latin | colpus | stroke; strike; hit |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κόλπος | bosom, lap; a fold in fabric around the bosom;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷelp- | to bend; to curve, arch |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |