gloss

gloss · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵʰel-“to flourish; be green or yellow”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*glus-“to glow, shine”
3. Dutch · borrowed fromgloos“a glow, flare”
4. English todaygloss

Probably from a North Germanic language, compare Icelandic glossi (“spark, flame”), glossa (“to flame”); or perhaps from dialectal Dutch gloos (“a glow, flare”), related to West Frisian gloeze (“a glow”), Middle Low German glȫsen (“to smoulder, glow”), German glosen (“to smoulder”); ultimately from Proto-Germanic *glus- (“to glow, shine”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰel- (“to flourish; be green or yellow”). More at glow.

gloss · noun²

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromγλῶσσα“language”
2. Late Latin · derived fromglōssa“obsolete or foreign word requiring explanation”
3. Old French · derived fromglose
4. Middle English · inherited fromglosse
5. English todaygloss

From Middle English glosse, alteration of glose, from Old French glose, from Late Latin glōssa (“obsolete or foreign word requiring explanation”), from Ancient Greek γλῶσσα (glôssa, “language”). Doublet of glossa and gloze.

gloss · verb³

1. Old French · derived fromgloser
2. Middle English · inherited fromglosen
3. English todaygloss

An alteration of Middle English glosen after Etymology 2, from Old French gloser; compare Medieval Latin glossāre.

Words from the same roots