Etymology Map
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Calm

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means not showing anger or excitement; still

Where does the word "calm" come from? It comes from Greek kauma, passing through Italian before entering English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
kauma
Greek · ancient
"heat of the day"
Greek for burning heat, when everything rests at noon
2
Stage 2 of 3
calma
Italian · 1300s
"stillness of the sea"
sailors' word for a windless sea, via Late Latin 'cauma'
3
Stage 3 of 3
calm
English · 1400s
"stillness"
arrived through French 'calme'; 'calm down' dates from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Calm’s story begins in Greek: kauma meant “heat of the day.” Greek for burning heat, when everything rests at noon. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Italian as calma. Sailors' word for a windless sea, via Late Latin 'cauma'. It reached English by 1400s as calm. Arrived through French 'calme'; 'calm down' dates from the 1700s. Today, calm means not showing anger or excitement; still.