Where does “keyhole” come from?
Keyhole comes from English key and English hole, with key deriving from Old English hol through Old English helan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European -kos.
keyhole (English): The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and...
Definitions
- The hole in a lock where the key is inserted and...
Ancestry of “keyhole”, step by step
keyhole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English hole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 2 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 3 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |