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
- The rear part of the foot, where it joins the...
Ancestry of “heel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hele | Alternative form of ele |
| 2 | Old English | hēla | heel |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *hą̄hilō | — |
Words derived from “heel”