Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “eel” come from?

Eel comes from Middle English ele, from Old English ǣl, from Proto-Germanic ēlaz and ēlō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ēl-, of unknown meaning.

eel (English): Any freshwater or marine fish of the order...

Definitions

  1. Any freshwater or marine fish of the order...

Ancestry of “eel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishel—
2Old Englishǣleel
3Proto-West Germanicāleel
4Proto-Germanicēlazeel

Words derived from “eel”

  • eelgrass
  • eelworm
  • elver
  • eely
  • eelskin
  • eellike
  • eelpot
  • eelspear
  • eeler
  • eelfare
  • eelblenny
  • eelboat
Every word from Proto-Germanic ēlaz →