Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “yolk” come from?

Yolk comes from Middle English yolke, from Old English ġeolca, derived from the Old English adjective ġeolu meaning yellow, ultimately from Proto-Germanic gelwaz and Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wós.

yolk (English): The yellow, spherical part of an egg that is...

Definitions

  1. The yellow, spherical part of an egg that is...

Ancestry of “yolk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishyolke—
2Old Englishġeolca—
3Old Englishġeoluyellow
4Proto-West Germanicgeluyellow
5Proto-Germanicgelwazyellow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃wósyellow, green
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

Words derived from “yolk”

  • yolky
  • yolked
  • yolkless
  • foodyolk
  • yolker
  • yolkiness
  • deyolk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →