Ankle-Bone
/ˈæŋ.kəl ˌboʊn/noun
The bone of the ankle, especially the talus that forms part of the ankle joint.
Did you know?The modern word comes from Old English *anclēow* for the ankle, while *bone* goes back to a Proto-Germanic word that originally meant a bodily bone or leg bone, not some mystical symbol—but the compound preserves one of the body’s oldest named joints.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂enk-
“to bend, hook, or curve”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ankulaz
“ankle; the bent part of the leg”
Old English
OE
anclēow
“ankle, ankle joint”
Old English
OE
bān
“bone, bodily bone”
Middle English
ME
ankle-bone
“the bone at the ankle; ankle joint bone”
Modern English
English
ankle-bone
“the bone of the ankle”