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
- An organ in the body that filters the blood,...
Ancestry of “kidney”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | kideney | The kidneys as the source of feelings |
| 2 | Middle English | kidenere | kidney |
| 3 | Middle English | nere | kidney; near; weren't |
| 4 | Middle Low German | nēre | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *neurō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | neurô | kidney; testicle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷʰrós | kidney |
Words derived from “kidney”