Where does “pearly” come from?
Pearly comes from Middle English -y, Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, Latin -ia, Proto-Indo-European -kos, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, forming an adjective from the noun pearl through successive suffix additions across Romance and Germanic languages.
pearly (English): A pale greyish white colour, tinted with blue; A...
Definitions
- A pale greyish white colour, tinted with blue; A...
Ancestry of “pearly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Pearl | A placename |
| 2 | Middle English | perle | A pearl; Any round object, especially when shiny;... |
| 3 | Old French | perle | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | perla | — |
| 5 | Latin | perna | A haunch or ham together with the leg, gammon; A... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | persnā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tpḗrsneh₂ | heel, upper thigh |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sperH- | to kick |