Where does “пол” come from?

пол (Bulgarian) comes from Old Church Slavonic полъ, from Proto-Slavic polъ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pelH- — to split off, separate; to chop, to separate.

пол (Bulgarian): sex, gender

Definitions

  1. sex, gender

Ancestry of “пол”, step by step

пол traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old Church Slavonic полъ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Church Slavonicполъhalf; gender, sex
2Proto-Slavicpolъside, flank; half; member of a pair of options →...
3Proto-Indo-European(s)pelH-to split off, separate; to chop, to separate

via Romanian pol

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Romanianpol
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pelH-Every word from Proto-Slavic polъEvery word from Old Church Slavonic полъ