Where does “jaws” come from?

Jaws comes from Middle English jawe and chawe, from Proto-Germanic kawǭ, kewǭ, and kewwaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵyewh₁-.

jaws (English): plural of jaw; the mouth; the borders of anything...

Definitions

  1. plural of jaw; the mouth; the borders of anything...

Ancestry of “jaws”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishjawOne of the bones, usually bearing teeth, which...
2Middle Englishjawe—
3Middle Englishchawejaw
4Proto-Germanickawǭjaw
5Proto-Germanickewǭ—
6Proto-Germanickewwanąto chew
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵyewh₁-to chew
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵyewh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic kewwaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic kewǭ →
jaws — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer