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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
2Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
3LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “babel”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →Every word from Latin vellus →Every word from Latin villus →