Where does “calm” come from?
calm (Middle English) comes from Middle French calme, from Italian calma, from Latin cauma, from Ancient Greek καῦμα, from Ancient Greek καίω, from Proto-Hellenic *káyyō.
Ancestry of “calm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | calme | calm; still; windless |
| 2 | Italian | calma | calm, stillness, peacefulness; tranquility, peace... |
| 3 | Latin | cauma | heat; heat of the day |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | καῦμα | burning, glow, heat; fever; holes cut by cautery |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | καίω | I light, kindle, set on fire; I burn, burn up; I... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | *káyyō | — |