Where does “asa” come from?

asa (Old Portuguese) comes from Latin ansa, from Proto-Indo-European h₂emseh₂, from Proto-Indo-European h₂em- — to grasp-; to hold on to; love.

Ancestry of “asa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinansahandle; tiller
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂emseh₂handle
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂em-to grasp-; to hold on to; love
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂em- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂emseh₂ →Every word from Latin ansa →