Where does “nailfold” come from?

nailfold (English) comes from English nail, from Middle English nail, from Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.

nailfold (English): The skin that overlaps the edge of a fingernail...

Definitions

  1. The skin that overlaps the edge of a fingernail...

Ancestry of “nailfold”, step by step

nailfold traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English nail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnailThe thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and...
2Middle EnglishnailAlternative form of nayl
3Old Englishnæġlnail
4Proto-West Germanicnaglnail; nail or peg used for fastening
5Proto-Germanicnaglaznail; nail or peg used for fastening
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃nogʰ-claw, nail; nail

via English fold

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfoldTo bend over so that it comes in contact with...
2Middle EnglishfoldA pen, enclosure, or shelter for domesticated animals
3Old Englishfald
4Proto-Germanicfaludazan enclosed space, enclosure
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ-
nailfold — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer