Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hue” come from?

Hue comes from Old French hu, from Old English hīwa, from Proto-Germanic hiwją, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-.

hue (English): A color, or shade of color; tint; dye; The...

Definitions

  1. A color, or shade of color; tint; dye; The...

Ancestry of “hue”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishheweservant, hireling; rascal, villein; hue
2Old Englishhīwamember of a family
3Proto-Germanichīwôrelative, fellow-lodger, family
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

Words derived from “hue”

  • hued
  • multihued
  • hueless
  • huer
  • hueing
  • hueful
  • unhued
  • polyhued
  • huesome
  • huefully
  • behue
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- →