Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gloom” come from?

Gloom comes from Old English glōm, from Proto-West Germanic glōm, from Proto-Germanic glōmaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ǵʰley- and ǵʰel-.

gloom (English): Darkness, dimness, or obscurity; A depressing,...

Definitions

  1. Darkness, dimness, or obscurity; A depressing,...

Ancestry of “gloom”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgloom—
2Old Englishglōmgloaming, twilight; darkness; gloom, gloaming;...
3Proto-West Germanicglōm—
4Proto-Germanicglōmazgleam, shimmer, sheen
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰley-to shine
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰel-to shine, glimmer, glow; to shimmer, gleam;...

Words derived from “gloom”

  • gloomy
  • gloomily
  • gloominess
  • gloomsome
  • begloom
  • semigloom
  • gloomful
  • gloomless
  • gloomth
  • ungloomy
  • engloom
  • gloomish
  • ungloomed
  • gloomfully
  • gloomyish
  • overgloom
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰel- →