Where does “cowbell” come from?

cowbell (English) comes from English Bell, from Middle English belle, from Old English belle, from Proto-West Germanic bellā, from Proto-Germanic bellǭ, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

cowbell (English): A bell worn by cows; sometimes with an ornate...

Definitions

  1. A bell worn by cows; sometimes with an ornate...

Ancestry of “cowbell”, step by step

cowbell traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Bell

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBella telephone utility; a Baby Bell
2Middle Englishbelle—
3Old Englishbellebell
4Proto-West Germanicbellā—
5Proto-Germanicbellǭbell
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

via English cow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcowAn adult female of the species "Bos taurus",...
2Middle EnglishcowAlternative form of cou
3Old Englishcūcow
4Proto-West Germanic*kōcow
5Proto-Germanic*kōzcow

Words derived from “cowbell”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bellǭ →