Where does “key” come from?
key (Manx) comes from English quay, from Middle English keye, from Old French kay, from Gaulish kagyum, from Proto-Celtic kagyom, from Proto-Indo-European kagʰyóm, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
key (Manx): cream; quay
Definitions
- cream; quay
Ancestry of “key”, step by step
key traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English quay
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | quay | A stone or concrete structure on navigable water... |
| 2 | Middle English | keye | A key; a tool for opening locks |
| 3 | Old French | kay | — |
| 4 | Gaulish | kagyum | — |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | kagyom | pen, enclosure |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kagʰyóm | enclosure, hedge |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
via Manx kay
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manx | kay | fog |
| 2 | Portuguese | céo | Superseded spelling of céu |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | *kiwos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱih₃-wó-s | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |