Where does “nipple” come from?
Nipple comes from English nib, which derives from English neb, traced back to Old English nebb, ultimately from Proto-Germanic nabją meaning a projecting point or nose-like protuberance.
nipple (English): The projection of a mammary gland from which, on...
Definitions
- The projection of a mammary gland from which, on...
Ancestry of “nipple”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | neple | — |
| 2 | English | NIB | Of a product that is the subject of a consumer... |
| 3 | English | neb | A bird's beak or bill; A person's mouth; A... |
| 4 | Middle English | neb | face, nose |
| 5 | Old English | nebb | neb, nib; bill, beak; nose; cartilage of the nose |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nabją | beak; nose |
Words derived from “nipple”