nail
A horny covering on the tip of a finger or toe; also a thin metal spike.
PIE *h₃nógʷʰ-View full root page →
Etymology
From Old English nægl "fingernail, toenail, metal nail," from Proto-Germanic *naglaz, from PIE *h₃nógʷʰ- "nail, claw." The dual meaning — body part and metal fastener — already existed in PIE, likely because early nails were claw-shaped.
The Journey: *h₃nógʷʰ- → nail
PIE~4500 BCE
*h₃nógʷʰ-
Proto-Germanic~500 BCE
*naglaz
Old English~450 CE
nægl
Modern English~1500 CE
nail
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *h₃nógʷʰ-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Greek | ónux |
| Latin | unguis |
| Sanskrit | nakhá |
| Old Irish | ingen |
| Lithuanian | nagas |
| Old Church Slavonic | nogŭtĭ |
Did You Know?
Greek ónux "nail, claw" gives English "onyx" — the gemstone was named for its resemblance to a fingernail.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₃nógʷʰ-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.