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

  1. The abdomen, especially a fat one; The stomach;...

Ancestry of “belly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbelybelly
2Old Englishbielġbag
3Proto-West Germanic*balgileather bag
4Proto-Germanicbalgizbag
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “belly”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →