Where does “belly” come from?
Belly derives from Middle English beli, Old English bælg, Proto-Germanic balgiz, and Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵʰ-, ultimately tracing to the root bʰleh₃- meaning to swell.
belly (English): The abdomen, especially a fat one; The stomach;...
Definitions
- The abdomen, especially a fat one; The stomach;...
Ancestry of “belly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bely | — |
| 2 | Old English | bielġ | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *balgi | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | balgiz | bag |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵʰ- | to swell |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
Words derived from “belly”