Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “calf” come from?

calf (Middle English) comes from Old English ċealf, from Proto-West Germanic kalb, from Proto-Germanic kalbaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷolbʰo — womb, animal young.

calf (Middle English): calf; A representation of a calf; something that...

Definitions

  1. calf; A representation of a calf; something that...

Ancestry of “calf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishċealf—
2Proto-West Germanickalbcalf
3Proto-Germanickalbazcalf
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʷolbʰowomb, animal young

Words derived from “calf”

  • calf
  • calves
  • calfskin
  • mooncalf
  • midcalf
  • calfbound
  • calflike
  • calfless
  • seacalf
  • calfling
  • haircalf
  • kalf
  • calves
  • caff
  • cauf
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷolbʰo →