Where does “central” come from?

central (Middle French) comes from Latin centrālis, from Latin centrum, from Ancient Greek κέντρον, from Proto-Hellenic *kéntron, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱéntrom.

Ancestry of “central”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Latin	centrālis	—
2	Latin	centrum	center ; centre
3	Ancient Greek	κέντρον	Something with a sharp point: point, spike, spur;...
4	Proto-Hellenic	*kéntron	—
5	Proto-Indo-European	*ḱéntrom	—

Every word from Proto-Indo-European *ḱéntrom →

central — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer