Where does “keye” come from?
keye (Middle English) comes from Old French kay, from Gaulish kagyum, from Proto-Celtic kagyom, from Proto-Indo-European kagʰyóm, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
keye (Middle English): A key; a tool for opening locks
Definitions
- A key; a tool for opening locks
Ancestry of “keye”, step by step
keye traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French kay
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | kay | — |
| 2 | Gaulish | kagyum | — |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | kagyom | pen, enclosure |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kagʰyóm | enclosure, hedge |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
via Old English cǣġ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | cǣġ | key |