Where does “limbo” come from?

limbo (Finnish) comes from English limbo, from Latin limbus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lembʰ- — to hang limply; to hang loosely, hang limply.

limbo (Finnish): limbo dance with bar that is lowered

Definitions

  1. limbo dance with bar that is lowered

Ancestry of “limbo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlimboThe place where innocent souls exist temporarily...
2LatinlimbusA border, edge; hem, fringe, tassel
3Proto-Indo-European(s)lembʰ-to hang limply; to hang loosely, hang limply

Words derived from “limbo

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lembʰ-