Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hollow” come from?

Hollow comes from Middle English holow and holgh, from Old English holh, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- meaning to conceal or cover.

hollow (English): A small valley between mountains; A sunken area...

Definitions

  1. A small valley between mountains; A sunken area...

Ancestry of “hollow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishholowAlternative form of holgh; Alternative form of...
2Old Englishholha hollow
3Proto-Germanic*hulhwą—

Words derived from “hollow”

  • hollowness
  • hallow
  • hollowly
  • hollower
  • hollowware
  • unhallow
  • hollowhearted
  • hollowfiber
  • semihollow
  • dishallow
  • hollowheartedness
  • nonhollow
  • hallower
  • behallow
  • hollow earther
  • holloweth
  • hollowwort
  • hollow-eyed
  • hollowfibre
  • hallowdom
  • hollowheartedly
Every word from Proto-Germanic *hulhwą →