Where does “perl” come from?

perl (Middle Welsh) comes from Middle English perle, from Old French perle, from Medieval Latin perla, from Latin perna, from Proto-Italic persnā, from Proto-Indo-European tpḗrsneh₂, from Proto-Indo-European sperH- — to kick.

Ancestry of “perl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishperleA pearl; Any round object, especially when shiny;...
2Old Frenchperle—
3Medieval Latinperla—
4LatinpernaA haunch or ham together with the leg, gammon; A...
5Proto-Italicpersnā—
6Proto-Indo-Europeantpḗrsneh₂heel, upper thigh
7Proto-Indo-EuropeansperH-to kick

Words derived from “perl”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sperH- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tpḗrsneh₂ →Every word from Proto-Italic persnā →