Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cower” come from?

Cower comes from Middle English couren, from Old French curer, from Latin curare meaning "to care for," derived from Latin cura meaning "care" or "concern," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷey-.

cower (English): To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from...

Definitions

  1. To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from...

Ancestry of “cower”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcouren—
2Middle Low Germankûrento lie in wait; linger

Words derived from “cower”

  • cowerer
Every word from Middle Low German kûren →