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
- The indentation or bump remaining in the abdomen...
Ancestry of “navel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | navel | navel; centre, point, hub |
| 2 | Old English | nafola | navel |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | nabulō | navel |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nabulô | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nobʰilos | navel |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃nobʰ- | navel, nave |
Words derived from “navel”