Where does “chawl” come from?
chawl (Middle English) comes from Old English ċeafl, from Proto-West Germanic kafl, from Proto-Germanic kaflaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵóp-wl̥ ~ ǵép-uns, from Proto-Indo-European ǵep- — to eat, chew.
Ancestry of “chawl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ċeafl | a bill, beak, snout, jaw, jaw-bone, cheek,... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | kafl | jaw |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kaflaz | jaw |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵóp-wl̥ ~ ǵép-uns | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵep- | to eat, chew |