Where does “cowlstaff” come from?
cowlstaff (English) comes from English cowl, from Middle English coule, from Old English cūle, from Old English cugele, from Ecclesiastical Latin cuculla, from Latin cucullus, from Proto-Indo-European kuH-l-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- — to cover, bedeck; cover.
cowlstaff (English): A staff used to carry a cowl or other burden,...
Definitions
- A staff used to carry a cowl or other burden,...
Ancestry of “cowlstaff”, step by step
cowlstaff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cowl
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cowl | A monk's hood that can be pulled forward to cover... |
| 2 | Middle English | coule | A cowl; a monk's hooded cloak |
| 3 | Old English | cūle | — |
| 4 | Old English | cugele | hood, cowl |
| 5 | Ecclesiastical Latin | cuculla | monk's cowl |
| 6 | Latin | cucullus | a covering for the head, hood, cowl; a conical... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kuH-l- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |
via English staff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | staff | A long, straight, thick wooden rod or stick,... |
| 2 | Middle English | staf | A staff, rod or pole; a relatively long, narrow,... |
| 3 | Old English | stæf | staff; letter, written character |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | stab | staff; letter |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stabaz | staff, stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stebʰ- | to stand still; to harden |