aureole (English)

Where does "aureole" come from?

The English word aureole comes from Middle English 'aureole'[1], which was derived from Old French 'aureole'[1]. This Old French term traces back to Medieval Latin 'aureola'[1], meaning 'golden (crown)'[1], and ultimately evolved to describe a halo or luminous ring around something.

Full etymology tree

• aureole (English), 'A circle of light or halo around the head of a deity or a saint.'
  • inherited aureole (Middle English)
    • borrowed aureole (Old French)
      • borrowed aureola (Latin), 'inflection of aureolus:'

Ancestors

• aureola (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

• oriole (English)

Descendants and derived words

• aureoled (English)
• aureoled (English)
• aureole hat (English)
• inaureole (English)

Sources

1. aureole (English) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris