Where does “heels” come from?

Heels derives from Old English hēla, from Proto-Germanic hanhilaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to cover or conceal.

heels (English): plural of heel; API pl; High-heeled shoes

Definitions

  1. plural of heel; API pl; High-heeled shoes

Ancestry of “heels”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishheelThe rear part of the foot, where it joins the...
2Middle EnglishheleAlternative form of ele
3Old Englishhēlaheel
4Proto-West Germanic*hą̄hilōheel

Words derived from “heels”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄hilō →