Where does “engulf” come from?
Engulf comes from Middle English en- combined with gulf, which derives from Old French golfe, from Latin in- plus Latin colpus, from Ancient Greek κόλπος meaning "bosom" or "bay," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-.
engulf (English): To overwhelm; To surround; to cover; To cast into...
Definitions
- To overwhelm; To surround; to cover; To cast into...
Ancestry of “engulf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gulf | A hollow place in the earth; an abyss; a deep... |
| 2 | Middle English | gulf | — |
| 3 | Old French | golf | — |
| 4 | Italian | golfo | gulf |
| 5 | Latin | colfos | — |
| 6 | Latin | colpus | stroke; strike; hit |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | κόλπος | bosom, lap; a fold in fabric around the bosom;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷelp- | to bend; to curve, arch |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷel- | to turn |