Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blade” come from?

Blade comes from Middle English blad, from Old English blæd, from Proto-Germanic blēdaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, ultimately from the root bʰel-.

blade (English): The sharp cutting edge of a knife, chisel, or...

Definitions

  1. The sharp cutting edge of a knife, chisel, or...

Ancestry of “blade”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbladeA leaf or blade; a piece foliage in general; A...
2Old Englishblæda leaf; the broad, flat blade of a utensil;...
3Proto-West Germanicbladleaf; sheet; blade
4Proto-Germanicbladąleaf; sheet; blade
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰlh̥₃oto—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “blade”

  • switchblade
  • blad
  • bladelet
  • microblade
  • bladelike
  • rollerblade
  • bladeless
  • sawblade
  • blady
  • bladebone
  • blader
  • multiblade
  • twayblade
  • rollerblader
  • bladesmith
  • axeblade
  • bladework
  • bladerunner
  • bladesmithing
  • bladepoint
  • oar blade
  • twiblade
  • bladejob
  • sideblade
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →