Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “couillette” come from?

couillette (French) comes from Middle French couillette, 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.

couillette (French): little testicle; dispenser cap; mistake, error

Definitions

  1. little testicle; dispenser cap; mistake, error

Ancestry of “couillette”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchcouillette1552, Rabelais
2Middle Frenchcouillenut, ball, bollock
3Old Frenchcoilleball, testicle
4Vulgar Latin*coleum—
5Latincōleus—
6Ancient Greekκολεόςa sword-sheath, a scabbard; a cinerary urn; a...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →