Where does “bel” come from?
bel (Albanian) comes from Ottoman Turkish بل, from Persian بیل, from Middle Persian byl, from Proto-Iranian bádHr̥, from Proto-Indo-Iranian bʰádʰHr̥, from Proto-Indo-European bʰedʰh₂- — to dig, burrow; to pierce, stab.
bel (Albanian): waist; spade
Ancestry of “bel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ottoman Turkish | بل | spade; waist; spade; waist, loins |
| 2 | Persian | بیل | shovel, spade; 12 hours |
| 3 | Middle Persian | byl | — |
| 4 | Proto-Iranian | bádHr̥ | spade, shovel |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | bʰádʰHr̥ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰedʰh₂- | to dig, burrow; to pierce, stab |