Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cue” come from?

Cue derives from Middle French queue (tail), from Latin cauda (tail), from Proto-Italic kaudā, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂u-d-eh₂.

cue (English): An action or event that is a signal for somebody...

Definitions

  1. An action or event that is a signal for somebody...

Ancestry of “cue”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishqueueAn animal's tail; A line of people, vehicles or...
2Frenchqueuetail; queue, line; cue
3Middle Frenchqueu—
4Old Frenchcuetail
5Vulgar Latincodatail
6LatincaudaA tail
7Proto-Italickaudātail
8Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂udeh₂—

Words derived from “cue”

  • miscue
  • cuer
  • curlicue
  • autocue
  • cuebid
  • cueless
  • cueist
  • cuestick
  • autocued
  • autocuer
  • cuesport
  • kija
  • キュー
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂udeh₂ →