cool

cool · adjective, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*gel-
2. Proto-Indo-European*gól-
3. Proto-Germanic*kalaną
4. Proto-Germanic*kōluz
5. Proto-West Germanic*kōl(ī)
6. Old Englishcōl
7. Middle Englishcool
8. English todaycool

From Middle English cool, from Old English cōl (“cool, cold, tranquil, calm”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōl(ī), from Proto-Germanic *kōluz (“cool”), from *kalaną (“to be cold, to freeze”), Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to be cold, to freeze”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian kool, koul, kuul, kölj, kööl (“cold”), Saterland Frisian köil (“cool”), West Frisian koel (“cool”), Cimbrian khuul (“chilly, cool”), Dutch koel (“cool”), German kühl (“cool”), Low German köhl (“cool”), Luxembourgish kill (“cool”), Vilamovian kił (“cool”); also Latin gelū, gelum, gelus (“frost; chill, cold”), Belarusian хо́лад (xólad, “cold”), Bulgarian хлад (hlad, “chill, coolness”), Czech chlad (“cold”), Macedonian лад (lad, “shade; coolness”), Polish chłód (“cold”), Russian and Ukrainian хо́лод (xólod, “cold”), Serbo-Croatian хла̑д, hlȃd (“shade”), Sanskrit जड (jaḍa, “cold; stiff”), जल (jala, “water”). Related to cold.

cool · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European*gel-
2. Proto-Indo-European*gól-
3. Proto-Germanic*kalaną
4. Proto-Germanic*kōluz
5. Proto-West Germanic*kōl(ī)
6. Proto-West Germanic*kōlēn
7. Old Englishcōlian
8. Middle Englishcolen
9. English todaycool

From Middle English colen, from Old English cōlian (“to cool, grow cold, be cold”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōlēn (“to become cold”), from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to freeze”). Cognate with Dutch koelen (“to cool”), German kühlen (“to cool”), Swedish kyla (“to cool, refrigerate”). Also partially from Middle English kelen, from Old English cēlan (“to cool, be cold, become cold”), from Proto-West Germanic *kōlijan, from Proto-Germanic *kōlijaną (“to cool”), altered to resemble the adjective cool. See keel.

cool · noun³

Alteration of cowl.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 18th c. A measure of butter, usually around 40lb; a container holding such an amount of butter.