Where does “golf” come from?

Golf derives from Middle Dutch colve, from Proto-Germanic kulbô, a term of uncertain original meaning that came to denote a club or stick used in the sport.

golf (English): A ball game played by individuals competing...

Definitions

  1. A ball game played by individuals competing...

Ancestry of “golf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchcolve
2Proto-Germanic*kulbazround object, lump
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

Words derived from “golf

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel-