couleur (English)
Where does "couleur" come from?
This term traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to hide or conceal,' which evolved into the Latin word 'color,' originally referring to a covering or outward appearance. It traveled through Old French as 'color' before becoming 'couleur' in modern French. While English previously adopted 'color' from the same source, it later borrowed 'couleur' specifically to describe a suit of cards in French card games.
Full etymology tree
- couleur (English), 'A suit of cards, in certain French card games.'
- borrowed couleur (French), 'color/colour'
- inherited couleur (Middle French)
- inherited color (Old French), 'color / colour'
- inherited color (Latin), 'color (US), colour (UK); shade, hue, tint'
- derived colōs (Latin), 'alternative form of color'
- inherited *kelōs (Proto-Italic)
- derived *ḱel- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to cover'
- inherited *kelōs (Proto-Italic)
- derived colōs (Latin), 'alternative form of color'
- inherited color (Latin), 'color (US), colour (UK); shade, hue, tint'
- inherited color (Old French), 'color / colour'
- inherited couleur (Middle French)
- borrowed couleur (French), 'color/colour'
Direct ancestors
Updated May 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris