Where does “limbo” come from?

limbo (Spanish) comes from Latin limbus, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lembʰ- — to hang limply; to hang loosely, hang limply.

limbo (Spanish): limbo; blade, edge; limb

Definitions

  1. limbo; blade, edge; limb

Ancestry of “limbo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinlimbusA border, edge; hem, fringe, tassel
2Proto-Indo-European(s)lembʰ-to hang limply; to hang loosely, hang limply
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lembʰ- →Every word from Latin limbus →