Where does “heel” come from?

Heel derives from Old English hēla, from Proto-Germanic hanhilaz and hanhaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots kel-, kei-, and the suffix -yeti.

heel (English): The rear part of the foot, where it joins the...

Definitions

  1. The rear part of the foot, where it joins the...

Ancestry of “heel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishheleAlternative form of ele
2Old Englishhēlaheel
3Proto-West Germanic*hą̄hilōheel

Words derived from “heel

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄hilō