Where does “underbelly” come from?
Underbelly derives from English belly, which comes from Middle English under-, Old English bælg, Proto-Germanic *bhelǵʰ-, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-, tracing back to the root *bʰel- meaning to swell.
underbelly (English): The underside of an animal; The underside of any...
Definitions
- The underside of an animal; The underside of any...
Ancestry of “underbelly”, step by step
underbelly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English belly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | belly | The abdomen, especially a fat one; The stomach;... |
| 2 | Middle English | bely | belly |
| 3 | Old English | bielġ | bag |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *balgi | leather bag |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | balgiz | bag |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵʰ- | to swell |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |