Where does “sill” come from?

Sill comes from Middle English selle, from Old English syl, from Latin cella meaning a small room or chamber, from Proto-Indo-European sel-, ultimately from the root ḱel- meaning to conceal or cover.

sill (English): A horizontal slat which forms the base of a...

Definitions

  1. A horizontal slat which forms the base of a...

Ancestry of “sill”, step by step

sill traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English sille

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsille
2Old Englishsylla beam that serves as a foundation or support,...
3Proto-Germanicsulībalk, bar, threshold, sill
4Proto-Indo-Europeansēl-to calm, quiet, be favourable

via Old Norse síl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsesílherring
2Proto-Germanicsīląa kind of fish; a launce, sand eel; a herring

Words derived from “sill

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sēl-
sill — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer