Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “cole” come from?

cole (Middle English) comes from Old English cāwel, from Proto-West Germanic *kauli, from Latin caulis, from Ancient Greek καυλός, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂ulós.

cole (Middle English): coal

Definitions

  1. coal

Ancestry of “cole”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcāwel—
2Proto-West Germanic*kauli—
3Latincaulisdative plural of caulae; ablative plural of...
4Ancient Greekκαυλόςstem, stalk; shaft
5Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂ulós—

Words derived from “cole”

  • coal
  • charcoal
  • collie
  • cole
  • coalfield
  • coalmining
  • coalmine
  • coaly
  • coalface
  • coalfired
  • coalheaver
  • coalman
  • Coalville
  • colly
  • coalminer
  • coalification
  • coalfish
  • coaldust
  • seacoal
  • coalpit
  • Coalgate
  • coaler
  • coalhouse
  • coalsmoke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂ulós →