Where does “navel” come from?

Navel comes from Middle English nafola, from Old English nafola, from Proto-Germanic nabalô, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nobʰilos, ultimately from the root h₃nobʰ-.

navel (English): The indentation or bump remaining in the abdomen...

Definitions

  1. The indentation or bump remaining in the abdomen...

Ancestry of “navel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnavelnavel; centre, point, hub
2Old Englishnafolanavel
3Proto-West Germanicnabulōnavel
4Proto-Germanicnabulô—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃nobʰilosnavel
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃nobʰ-navel, nave

Words derived from “navel”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃nobʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃nobʰilos →Every word from Proto-Germanic nabulô →