Where does “hangnail” come from?

hangnail (English) comes from Middle English agnail, from Old English agnail, from Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.

hangnail (English): A loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding...

Definitions

  1. A loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding...

Ancestry of “hangnail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishagnail—
2Old Englishagnail—
3Old Englishnæġlnail
4Proto-West Germanicnaglnail; nail or peg used for fastening
5Proto-Germanicnaglaznail; nail or peg used for fastening
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃nogʰ-claw, nail; nail

Words derived from “hangnail”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic naglaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic nagl →