Where does “angel” come from?
angel (Middle English) comes from Old French angle, from Old English enġel, from Proto-West Germanic angil, from Latin angelus, from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος, from Old Norse engill, from Old Saxon engil — angel.
angel (Middle English): Alternative form of aungel; fishhook
Definitions
- Alternative form of aungel; fishhook
Ancestry of “angel”, step by step
angel traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French angle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | angle | angel |
| 2 | Old English | enġel | angel |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | angil | angel |
| 4 | Latin | angelus | angel; messenger |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἄγγελος | a messenger; one that announces; angel, heavenly... |
| 6 | Old Norse | engill | angel |
| 7 | Old Saxon | engil | angel |
via Middle English aungel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | aungel | An angel; a heavenly messenger or deputy; A... |
via Anglo-Norman angele
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | angele | — |