Where does “sel” come from?

sel (Tok Pisin) comes from English cell, from English cell phone, from English cellular phone, from English phone, from English telephone, from French téléphone, from French télé-, from Ancient Greek τῆλε — whale, sea monster; abyss.

sel (Tok Pisin): sail; canvas; tarpaulin; to sail

Definitions

  1. sail; canvas; tarpaulin; to sail

Ancestry of “sel”, step by step

sel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English cell

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcellA single-room dwelling for a hermit; A small...
2Englishcell phoneA portable, wireless telephone, which changes...
3Englishcellular phoneA mobile phone using cellular technology; A...
4EnglishphoneA device for transmitting conversations and other...
5EnglishtelephoneA telecommunication device used for two-way...
6Frenchtéléphonetelephone; first-person singular present...
7Frenchtélé-tele-
8Ancient Greekτῆλεfar off, afar, far away
9Latincommūnicāre
10Latincommūniscommon, commonplace, ordinary, general, universal, shared, shared alike, of both sides, belonging to two or more together
11Old Latincom(m)oinis
12Proto-Italickommoiniscommon
13Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
14Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
15Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
16Middle Englishkyt
17Russianкитwhale; genitive plural of ки́та
18Old Church Slavonicкитъwhale
19Ancient Greekκῆτοςwhale, sea monster; abyss

via English sail

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsailA piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged...
2Middle EnglishsaileAlternative form of assailen
3Proto-Germanicsegląsheet; sail
4Proto-Germanicsiglą

Words derived from “sel

Every word from Ancient Greek κῆτοςEvery word from Old Church Slavonic китъEvery word from Russian кит