Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nose” come from?

Nose comes from Middle English nose, from Old English nosu, from Latin nodus, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European néh₂s- to the root néh₂s-.

nose (English): A protuberance on the face housing the nostrils,...

Definitions

  1. A protuberance on the face housing the nostrils,...

Ancestry of “nose”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnōsenose
2Old FrenchnousAlternative form of nos
3Latinnōs—
4Proto-Italicnōswe
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwéywe
6Proto-Indo-Europeanéǵh₂I

Words derived from “nose”

  • nosy
  • bottlenose
  • nosey
  • nosebleed
  • nosedive
  • nosiness
  • nosepiece
  • nosebag
  • noseband
  • bullnose
  • nosily
  • longnose
  • noseleaf
  • hognose
  • needlenose
  • noser
  • shortnose
  • nosewheel
  • cownose
  • noseful
  • shovelnose
  • bluenose
  • brownnose
  • bluntnose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European éǵh₂ →