Where does “nail” come from?

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

nail (Middle English): Alternative form of nayl

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of nayl

Ancestry of “nail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishnæġlnail
2Proto-West Germanicnaglnail; nail or peg used for fastening
3Proto-Germanicnaglaznail; nail or peg used for fastening
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃nogʰ-claw, nail; nail

Words derived from “nail”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃nogʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic naglaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic nagl →
nail — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer