Where does “silver ceiling” come from?

silver ceiling (English) comes from English silver, from Middle English silver, from Old English seolfor, from Proto-West Germanic *silubr, from Proto-Germanic silubrą — silver.

silver ceiling (English): An informal barrier to promotion or advancement,...

Definitions

  1. An informal barrier to promotion or advancement,...

Ancestry of “silver ceiling”, step by step

silver ceiling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English silver

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsilverA lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic...
2Middle Englishsilversilver
3Old Englishseolforsilver
4Proto-West Germanic*silubrsilver
5Proto-Germanicsilubrąsilver

via English ceiling

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishceilingThe overhead closure of a room; The upper limit...
2Middle Englishcelingpaneling; cover or hanging
3Middle Englishcelento cover or panel walls
4Old Frenchcelerto conceal
5Latincelōto hide (something from someone), cover, keep a secret, conceal
Every word from Proto-Germanic silubrą →