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
- plural of heel; API pl; High-heeled shoes
Ancestry of “heels”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | heel | The rear part of the foot, where it joins the... |
| 2 | Middle English | hele | Alternative form of ele |
| 3 | Old English | hēla | heel |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *hą̄hilō | — |
Words derived from “heels”