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
Ancestry of “limbo”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | limbus | A border, edge; hem, fringe, tassel |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)lembʰ- | to hang limply; to hang loosely, hang limply |