Where does “kohl” come from?

kohl (Pennsylvania German) comes from Old High German kol, from Proto-West Germanic kol, from Proto-Germanic kulą, from Proto-Indo-European gʷol-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵwelH- — to burn; to shine.

kohl (Pennsylvania German): coal

Definitions

  1. coal

Ancestry of “kohl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germankolcoal
2Proto-West Germanickolcoal
3Proto-Germanickulącoal
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʷol-—
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanǵwelH-to burn; to shine
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵwelH- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷol- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kulą →