Where does “colour” come from?
colour (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman colur, from Old French colour, from Latin color, from Ancient Greek μέτρον, from Ancient Greek -τρον, from Proto-Hellenic -tron, from Proto-Indo-European -trom, from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr — Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...
colour (Middle English): colour, hue, shade; pigment, dye; method
Definitions
- colour, hue, shade; pigment, dye; method
Ancestry of “colour”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | colur | Alternative form of color |
| 2 | Old French | colour | Alternative form of color |
| 3 | Latin | color | colour, shade; color; pigment; complexion |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μέτρον | something used to measure: measure, rule, weight;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -τρον | Forms instrument nouns |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | -tron | Forms instrument nouns from verb stems |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |