Where does “ručnik” come from?
ručnik (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Serbo-Croatian ruka, from Proto-Slavic rǫka, from Proto-Balto-Slavic ránkāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European wrenk-, from Latvian wer- — to turn, to bend.
ručnik (Serbo-Croatian): towel
Ancestry of “ručnik”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Serbo-Croatian | ruka | arm; hand |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | rǫka | hand; arm |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | ránkāˀ | hand, arm |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wrenk- | to turn, twist, bend |
| 5 | Latvian | wer- | to turn, to bend |