Where does “Tail” come from?
Tail (English) comes from Middle English tayl, from Old English tæġl, from Proto-Germanic taglą, from Proto-Indo-European doḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European deḱ- — take; perceive.
Ancestry of “Tail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 2 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |