English
coal
Coal comes from Middle English col ‘charcoal’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ǵwelH- ‘to burn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵwelH-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵwl̥Homreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵulHomreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kuląreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kolreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150col
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘charcoal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1551coal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵwelH-‘to burn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵwl̥Homreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵulHomreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kuląreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kolreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150col
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘charcoal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1551coal
Earliest quotation: 1551, William Camden: “[…] marvailing, he coaled out these rithms upon the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *kulą
through Old English col
Today it means
noun A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵwelH- / coal