Where does “heel” come from?

heel (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch hēl, from Proto-West Germanic hail, from Proto-Germanic hailaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos.

Ancestry of “heel”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Old Dutch	hēl	—
2	Proto-West Germanic	hail	healthy, sound; whole; omen, portent
3	Proto-Germanic	hailaz	whole, unbroken, intact; entire, complete; hale,...
4	Proto-Indo-European	*kéh₂ilos	—

heel — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer