cold
Of or at a low temperature; not warm or hot.
Etymology
From Old English cald/ceald, from Proto-Germanic *kaldaz, from PIE *gel- meaning "cold, to freeze." The word literally meant "frozen" or "having become cold." The same root produced Latin gelū "frost" and English "cool" and "chill."
The Journey: *gel- → cold
*gel-
*kaldaz
ceald/cald
cold
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *gel-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | (none direct) |
| Latin | gelū (frost) |
| Gothic | kalds |
| Old Norse | kaldr |
| Lithuanian | gélti (to sting with cold) |
| Old High German | kalt |
Did You Know?
Latin gelū "frost" gave English "gelatin" (it congeals like frost), "gelato" (frozen dessert), and "jelly." The word "glacier" also comes from this root via Vulgar Latin *glacia.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *gel-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.