Where does “glad” come from?
Glad comes from Old English glæd, from Proto-Germanic gladaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰladh-, ultimately from the root gʰel-.
glad (English): Pleased, happy, gratified; Having a bright or...
Definitions
- Pleased, happy, gratified; Having a bright or...
Ancestry of “glad”, step by step
glad traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gladiolus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gladiolus | The center part of the sternum; Any of several... |
| 2 | Latin | gladiōlus | Little sword, knife |
| 3 | Latin | gladius | sword; murder, death; a gladiatorial contest |
| 4 | Gaulish | kladyos | sword |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | kladiwos | sword |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |
via Middle English glad
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | glad | joyful, merry, happy |
| 2 | Old English | glæd | glad |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | glad | shining, shiny, radiant; bright, cheery,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gladaz | shining, shiny, radiant; bright, cheery,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰladh- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰel- | to shine, glimmer, glow; to shimmer, gleam;... |