Etymology Explorer › Old Portuguese

Where does “bel” come from?

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

Ancestry of “bel”, 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 “bel”

  • antibeleza
  • beleza
  • bela
  • belo
  • Belmonte
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →