Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unnail” come from?

unnail (English) comes from English nail, from Middle English nail, from Old English næġl, from Proto-West Germanic nagl, from Proto-Germanic naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- — claw, nail; nail.

unnail (English): To remove the nails from

Definitions

  1. To remove the nails from

Ancestry of “unnail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnailThe thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and...
2Middle EnglishnailAlternative form of nayl
3Old Englishnæġlnail
4Proto-West Germanicnaglnail; nail or peg used for fastening
5Proto-Germanicnaglaznail; nail or peg used for fastening
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃nogʰ-claw, nail; nail
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- →