Where does “pau-brasil” come from?

pau-brasil (Portuguese) comes from Portuguese pau, from Old Portuguese pao, from Latin palus, from Proto-Italic pākslos, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ-slos, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- — to attach.

pau-brasil (Portuguese): brazilwood

Definitions

  1. brazilwood

Ancestry of “pau-brasil”, step by step

pau-brasil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Portuguese pau

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesepaustick; wood; penis, dick, cock, prick
2Old Portuguesepaostick, stake
3Latinpalusswamp, marsh, morass, bog, fen, pool; stake,...
4Proto-Italicpākslos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-slos—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-to attach

via Portuguese brasil

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesebrasilbrazilwood; relating to embers, ember-coloured
2Portuguese-il-ile
3Latin-ilis-ile
4Proto-Italic-elis—
5Proto-Indo-European-elis—
6Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “pau-brasil”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ-slos →Every word from Proto-Italic pākslos →