Where does “billow” come from?

Billow comes from Middle English bilȝe, from Old Norse bylgja, from Proto-Germanic bulgijō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, a root meaning to swell or surge.

billow (English): A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of...

Definitions

  1. A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of...

Ancestry of “billow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbilwe—
2Old Norsebylgjawave, billow
3Proto-Germanicbulgijōwave, billow
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “billow”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵʰ- →