Heel
/hiːl/noun
The back part of the foot below the ankle.
Did you know?English heel is a very old Germanic word, and its deep ancestor also survives in words for the back of the foot in related languages, showing how body parts can preserve ancient speech for thousands of years.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*k̑el-
“to bend, curve, or lean”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hēla-
“heel, the back part of the foot”
Old English
English
hēla
“heel”
Middle English
English
hele
“heel”
Modern English
English
heel
“the back part of the foot below the ankle”