Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “elbow” come from?

Elbow comes from Middle English elbowe, from Old English elnboga, from Proto-Germanic alinabugô, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European Heh₃l-.

elbow (English): The joint between the upper arm and the forearm;...

Definitions

  1. The joint between the upper arm and the forearm;...

Ancestry of “elbow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishelboweelbow; A tassel suspended from the elbow
2Old Englishelnbogaelbow
3Proto-Germanicalinabugôelbow
4Proto-Germanicbugôbow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰugʰ-bow; arch
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰewgʰ-to bend; curve, arch

Words derived from “elbow”

  • elbowroom
  • elbowless
  • elbower
  • elbowlike
  • elbowful
  • Elbowgate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰewgʰ- →