Etymology

bellows

B3E1L1L1O1W4S1

Today it means: A device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. At its most simple terms a bellows is a container which is deformable in such a way as to alter its volume which has an outlet or outlets where one wishes to blow air. Full definition →

Middle English belwes ← Old English bielġ ← Proto-West Germanic *balgi
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bellows · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰelǵʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰólǵʰis
  3. Proto-Germanic*balgiz
  4. Proto-West Germanic*balgi
  5. Old Englishbielġ
  6. Middle Englishbely
  7. Middle Englishbelwes
  8. English todaybellows

From Middle English belwes, plural of belu, belwe, a northern form of beli, from Old English bæliġ, northern form of bielġ, from Proto-Germanic *balgiz. Compare German Balg. See also belly. For the pronunciation /ˈbɛl.əs/, compare bodice, gallows.

bellows · noun, verb2

See bellow

Words from the same roots

Proto-Germanic*balgiz all →

bellyballow

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.