Where does “cove” come from?
Cove comes from Old English cofa, from Proto-Germanic kubô, a word of obscure original meaning that developed into a designation for a small sheltered bay or recess.
cove (English): A hollow in a rock; a cave or cavern; A concave...
Definitions
- A hollow in a rock; a cave or cavern; A concave...
Ancestry of “cove”, step by step
cove traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French couver
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | couver | to brood; to mollycoddle |
| 2 | Old French | cover | to brood |
| 3 | Latin | cubāre | — |
| 4 | Latin | cubō | to lie down, recline |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kubāō | to lie down |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewb- | briar, thorn |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱew- | skin, colour of the skin; to shine; bright; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷṓws | cattle |
via Middle English cove
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cove | — |
| 2 | Old English | cōfa | chamber, inner room |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *kobō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kubô | shed, hut; originally "wattle shed" |
via Romani kodo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romani | kodo | that |