Where does “elle” come from?

elle (Middle High German) comes from Middle High German elen, from Old High German elina, from Proto-West Germanic alinu, from Proto-Germanic alinō, from Proto-Indo-European Heh₃l-én-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European Heh₃l- — to bow, to bend; elbow.

Ancestry of “elle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanelen—
2Old High Germanelinaulna, ell, elbow; ell
3Proto-West Germanicalinuforearm, ell
4Proto-Germanicalinōelbow; ell, cubit
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHeh₃l-én-eh₂—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHeh₃l-to bow, to bend; elbow

Words derived from “elle”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European Heh₃l- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European Heh₃l-én-eh₂ →Every word from Proto-Germanic alinō →
elle — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer