Where does “golf” come from?

golf (Romanian) comes from French golfe, from Italian golfo, from Latin colfos, from Latin colpus, from Ancient Greek κόλπος, from Proto-Indo-European kʷelp-, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.

golf (Romanian): gulf

Definitions

  1. gulf

Ancestry of “golf”, step by step

golf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French golfe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchgolfegulf; first-person singular present indicative of...
2Italiangolfogulf
3Latincolfos
4Latincolpusstroke; strike; hit
5Ancient Greekκόλποςbosom, lap; a fold in fabric around the bosom;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷelp-to bend; to curve, arch
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

via English golf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgolfA ball game played by individuals competing...
2Middle Dutchcolve
3Proto-Germanic*kulbazround object, lump
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-