Where does “couwe” come from?
couwe (Middle English) comes from Old French keu, from Old French cue, from Vulgar Latin coda, from Latin cauda, from Proto-Italic kaudā, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂udeh₂.
Ancestry of “couwe”, step by step
couwe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French keu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | keu | — |
| 2 | Old French | cue | tail |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | coda | tail |
| 4 | Latin | cauda | A tail |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kaudā | tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂udeh₂ | — |
via Anglo-Norman queue
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | queue | Alternative form of cue |