Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “gold” come from?

gold (Middle English) comes from Old English gold, from Proto-Germanic gulþą, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰl̥tóm, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

gold (Middle English): gold

Definitions

  1. gold

Ancestry of “gold”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgoldgold
2Proto-Germanicgulþągold
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰl̥tómgold
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

Words derived from “gold”

  • gold
  • Goldie
  • goldfish
  • goldfield
  • immunogold
  • goldsmithing
  • goldwork
  • goldrush
  • goldie
  • goldthread
  • goldcrest
  • goldbrick
  • nanogold
  • golding
  • goldcup
  • goldlike
  • nongold
  • goldeye
  • goldbricker
  • goldware
  • fluorogold
  • goldsmithy
  • goldlip
  • antigold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →