Where does “gloomy” come from?
Gloomy comes from Middle English gloomy, influenced by Middle French -ie and Latin -ia suffixes derived ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -kos, a formative element used to create adjectives.
gloomy (English): Not very illuminated; dim because of darkness,...
Definitions
- Not very illuminated; dim because of darkness,...
Ancestry of “gloomy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gloom | Darkness, dimness, or obscurity; A depressing,... |
| 2 | Middle English | gloom | — |
| 3 | Old English | glōm | gloaming, twilight; darkness; gloom, gloaming;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | glōm | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | glōmaz | gleam, shimmer, sheen |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰley- | to shine |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰel- | to shine, glimmer, glow; to shimmer, gleam;... |