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
- A loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding...
Ancestry of “hangnail”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | agnail | — |
| 2 | Old English | agnail | — |
| 3 | Old English | næġl | nail |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | nagl | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | naglaz | nail; nail or peg used for fastening |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nogʰ- | claw, nail; nail |
Words derived from “hangnail”