cool (French)
Where does "cool" come from?
The French word 'cool' was borrowed from English, where it originally referred to a mildly low temperature. This English term descended from the Proto-Indo-European root '*gel-', meaning 'to freeze' or 'to be cold,' passing through the Proto-Germanic word '*kōlaz'. Over time, the meaning evolved from a physical sensation of coldness to a figurative sense of being calm, tranquil, or fashionably impressive.
Full etymology tree
- cool (French), 'cool (only its informal senses, mainly fashionable)'
- borrowed from cool (English), 'Of a mildly low temperature.'
- inherited from cool (Middle English)
- inherited from cōl (Old English), 'cool (not hot or warm)'
- inherited from *kōl(ī) (Proto-West Germanic), 'cool'
- compound of *kōlaz (Proto-Germanic)
- derived from *kalaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to be cold, to freeze'
- derived from *gel- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to be cold, to freeze'
- derived from *kalaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to be cold, to freeze'
- compound of *-į̄ (Proto-Germanic), '-th. Forms abstract nouns from adjectives which represent 'the state, quality or measure of' the adjective.'
- inherited from *-i-h₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- affix *-h₂ (Proto-Indo-European), 'Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups or sets.'
- inherited from *-i-h₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- compound of *kōlaz (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited from *kōl(ī) (Proto-West Germanic), 'cool'
- inherited from cōl (Old English), 'cool (not hot or warm)'
- inherited from cool (Middle English)
- borrowed from cool (English), 'Of a mildly low temperature.'
Ancestors
- *gel- (Proto-Indo-European)
- cool (English)
Updated April 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris