oxter

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂eḱs-“axis, axle”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*ahslō“joint of the shoulder”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*ahslu“shoulder”
4. Old English · inherited fromōxta
5. Middle English · inherited from*oxtere
6. English todayoxter

Apparently from Middle English *oxtere, *oxte, from Old English ōxta, ōhsta, related to Old English ōxn (“armpit”), Old English eax (“axis, axle”), and eaxl (“shoulder”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahslu (“shoulder”), from Proto-Germanic *ahslō (“joint of the shoulder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- (“axis, axle”). See also axis and axon.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. The armpit.