Where does “middelfinger” come from?

middelfinger (Old English) comes from Old English middel, from Proto-West Germanic *midl, from Proto-Germanic midlą, from Proto-Germanic midjō, from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos, from Proto-Indo-European medʰi-, from Proto-Indo-European me — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.

middelfinger (Old English): middle finger

Definitions

  1. middle finger

Ancestry of “middelfinger”, step by step

middelfinger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English middel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishmiddelmiddle
2Proto-West Germanic*midl—
3Proto-Germanicmidląmiddle
4Proto-Germanicmidjōmiddle, midst
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmédʰyosmiddle
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmedʰi-with, among; with, along
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmein the middle of, near, by, around, with

via Old English finger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfingerfinger
2Proto-West Germanicfingrfinger
3Proto-Germanicfingrazfinger
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpenkʷrós—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European me →Every word from Proto-Indo-European medʰi- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos →