Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “angel” come from?

Angel comes from Middle English engel, from Old French angle, from Latin angulus, ultimately from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος meaning messenger.

angel (English): An incorporeal and sometimes divine messenger...

Definitions

  1. An incorporeal and sometimes divine messenger...

Ancestry of “angel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishangelAlternative form of aungel; fishhook
2Old Frenchangleangel
3Old Englishenġel—
4Proto-West Germanicangilangel
5Latinangelusangel; messenger
6Ancient Greekἄγγελοςa messenger; one that announces; angel, heavenly...
7Old Norseengillangel
8Old Saxonengilangel

Words derived from “angel”

  • Angel
  • angelical
  • angelology
  • angelfish
  • angelhood
  • angelism
  • angellike
  • angelolatry
  • angelize
  • Angelite
  • angelistic
  • archangelical
  • angelist
  • angelicity
  • angelwing
  • angelologist
  • angelicalness
  • angelization
  • nonangel
  • angelage
  • angel-lore
  • angelify
  • angelly
  • disangelical
Every word from Old Saxon engil →