Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cowslip” come from?

Cowslip comes from Middle English cowslyppe, from Old English cūslyppe, a compound of Old English cū (cow) and cū from Proto-West Germanic kū, Proto-Germanic kūz, and Proto-Indo-European gʷṓws (cow).

cowslip (English): A low-growing plant, Primula veris, with yellow...

Definitions

  1. A low-growing plant, Primula veris, with yellow...

Ancestry of “cowslip”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcowslyppe—
2Old Englishcūslyppecowslip
3Old Englishcūcow
4Proto-West Germanic*kō—
5Proto-Germanic*kōz—

Words derived from “cowslip”

  • cowslipped
Every word from Proto-Germanic *kōz →