Etymology
1. Etymology tree
2. Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-
3. Proto-Indo-European *-is
4. Proto-Indo-European *bʰólǵʰis
5. Proto-Germanic *balgiz
6. Proto-West Germanic *balgi
7. Old English bielġ
8. Middle English bely
9. English belly
10. Inherited from Middle English bely, beli, bali, below, belew, balyw, from Old English bielġ (“bag, pouch, bulge”), from Proto-West Germanic *balgi, *balgu, from Proto-Germanic *balgiz, *balguz (“skin, hide, bellows, bag”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- (“to swell, blow up”). Cognate with Dutch balg, German Balg, Danish bælg, Old Irish bolg, Welsh bol. Doublet of bellows, blague, bulge, and budge. See also bellows.
11. For the belly — bellows relation, compare typologically Macedonian мев (mev, “abdomen, belly; bellows”). Also compare Ancient Greek φῦσα (phûsa, “bellows; bladder; ...”), Latin venter — vēsīca, Russian пу́зо (púzo) — пузы́рь (puzýrʹ), пузырёк (puzyrjók). See: Middle English Nouns '
bely', Middle English Nouns '
bely', Dutch Nouns '
balg', Danish Nouns '
bælg'.
Verbs referencing "belly"
Latin Nouns
follis.