Where does “gleam” come from?
Gleam comes from Middle English gleme, from Old English glæm, from Proto-Germanic glaimiz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰley-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰel-.
gleam (English): A small or indistinct shaft or stream of light; A...
Definitions
- A small or indistinct shaft or stream of light; A...
Ancestry of “gleam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | glem | — |
| 2 | Old English | glæm | gleam |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | glaimiz | brightness, splendour |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰley- | to shine |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰel- | to shine, glimmer, glow; to shimmer, gleam;... |
Words derived from “gleam”