English
umbilicus
Umbilicus comes from Latin umbilīcus ‘navel’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃nebʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃nebʰ-‘hub, navel’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃nóbʰōl‘navel’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEumbilīcus‘navel’
- Englishearliest quotation 1763umbilicus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃nebʰ-‘hub, navel’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃nóbʰōl‘navel’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEumbilīcus‘navel’
- Englishearliest quotation 1763umbilicus
Earliest quotation: 1763, William Massey: “The ends of the umbilicus were called cornua (i.e.…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃nebʰ- ‘hub, navel’
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃nóbʰōl ‘navel’
Today it means
noun A navel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃nebʰ- / umbilicus