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navel

Etymology and origin of the English word navel

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈneɪvəl/, /ˈneɪbəl/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English navele, inherited from Old English nafela,[2][3][4][5][6] from Proto-Germanic *nabalô;[3][4] it is related to Dutch navel, German Nabel and Old Norse nafli.[3][4][6] The Germanic word goes back to the Proto-Indo-European root *(o)nobh- “navel”,[2][4] which also gave Latin umbilīcus, Ancient Greek ὀμφαλός (omphalós) and Sanskrit nābhīla.[4][5][6] It is also related to nave “hub of a wheel”.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The rounded depression on the abdomen where the umbilical cord was attached (c. 725).[7][3]

Semantic evolution

Since the navel is at the centre of the body, the word was used from 1382 of the centre of a country, sea or forest, and from 1603 of the middle point of anything.[7] It also meant the nave of a wheel (1388), a sense now obsolete.[7] The phrase to contemplate one's navel, for self-absorbed meditation, is recorded from 1933,[7] and navel is short for navel orange from 1888.[7]

Timeline

  • c. 725 – Old English nabula, the navel.[7][3]
  • 1382 – the centre of a country, forest or sea.[7]
  • 1603 – the middle point of anything.[7]
  • 1888 – a navel orange.[7]
  • 1933 – to contemplate one's navel.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The mark on the abdomen of a mammal where the umbilical cord was attached before birth; the umbilicus or belly button.
  2. A central point; the middle.
  3. A navel orange.

Word family

  • navel-gazing
  • navel orange
  • nave
  • umbilicus
  • omphalos
  • umbilical

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

  • henchman · also from Old English
  • smock · also from Old English
  • heathen · also from Old English
  • giddy · also from Old English
  • gallows · also from Old English
  • forlorn · also from Old English
  • clue · also from Old English
  • gossip · also from Old English
Cite this entry

“Navel.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/navel. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·