Etymology Explorer › Old Spanish

Where does “bello” come from?

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

Ancestry of “bello”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Occitanbelbeautiful
2Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
3Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
4LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →