Where does “babel” come from?

babel (Old French) comes from Latin bellus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

Ancestry of “babel”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Latin	bellus	beautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
2	Latin	villus	hair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
3	Latin	vellus	The wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
4	Proto-Indo-European	h₂welh₁-	to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “babel”

bauble
bable
babel
babulle
babull

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →

babel — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer