Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “kidney” come from?

Kidney comes from Middle English kednei, which derives from Middle English kidnere, though the ultimate origin remains uncertain.

kidney (English): An organ in the body that filters the blood,...

Definitions

  1. An organ in the body that filters the blood,...

Ancestry of “kidney”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishkideney—
2Middle Englishkidenerekidney
3Middle Englishnerekidney; near; weren't
4Middle Low Germannēre—
5Proto-West Germanic*neurō—
6Proto-Germanicneurôkidney; testicle
7Proto-Indo-Europeannegʷʰróskidney

Words derived from “kidney”

  • kidneywood
  • kidneyed
  • kidneylike
  • kidneywort
  • forekidney
  • monokidney
  • kidneyshell
  • kidneyless
  • kidni
Every word from Proto-Indo-European negʷʰrós →