Umbilicus
/ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/noun
The navel; the central point of something.
Did you know?In ancient Roman and later scholarly Latin, umbilicus could also mean the center of a scroll or book, treating the “navel” as the binding point of a text.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃embʰi-
“around, on both sides”
Latin
Latin
umbilicus
“navel; central boss or projecting center”
Classical Latin
Latin
umbilicus
“the navel; the central part of a scroll or object”
Late Latin / Old French
Latin / Old French
umbilicus > ombilic
“navel”
Middle English
English
umbilic
“navel; central point”
Modern English
English
umbilicus
“the navel; the center of a structure or region”