Where does “yellow” come from?
Yellow comes from Middle English yelow, from Old English ġeolu, from Proto-Germanic gelwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wós, a color term of uncertain ultimate origin.
yellow (English): Having yellow as its color; Lacking courage;...
Definitions
- Having yellow as its color; Lacking courage;...
Ancestry of “yellow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | yelow | yellow, yellowish, gold; yellow-coloured;... |
| 2 | Old English | ġeolu | yellow |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | gelu | yellow |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gelwaz | yellow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃wós | yellow, green |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃- | to flourish; green, yellow |
Words derived from “yellow”