Phalange
/ˈfæl.ændʒ/noun
A bone in a finger or toe; also, a compact group or formation of people or things.
Did you know?Phalanx and phalange ultimately come from the same Greek root for a tightly packed row or log-like beam, which is why a word of war became a word for bones arranged in a row.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phálanx (gen. phálangos)
“A roller, log, beam, or a tight row/formation; later, a battle line or the bones of the fingers and toes”
Latin
Latin
phalanx
“A phalanx; a close-packed military formation”
Old French
Old French
phalange
“A phalanx or compact body of soldiers”
16th-17th Century
French/English
phalange
“A close-ranked body or formation; later used anatomically for a finger or toe bone”
Modern English
English
phalange
“Any of the bones in the fingers or toes”
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