Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “couille” come from?

couille (French) comes from Middle French couille, from Old French coille, from Vulgar Latin *coleum, from Latin cōleus, from Ancient Greek κολεός, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

couille (French): nut, ball, bollock

Definitions

  1. nut, ball, bollock

Ancestry of “couille”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchcouillenut, ball, bollock
2Old Frenchcoilleball, testicle
3Vulgar Latin*coleum—
4Latincōleus—
5Ancient Greekκολεόςa sword-sheath, a scabbard; a cinerary urn; a...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “couille”

  • couillu
  • casse-couilles
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →