pillow

The story

1. Latin · derived frompulvīnus“cushion”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*pulwī“pillow”
3. Old English · inherited frompyle
4. Middle English · inherited frompilwe
5. English todaypillow

From Middle English pilwe, from Old English pyle, pylu (“pillow”), from Proto-West Germanic *pulwī (“pillow”), from Latin pulvīnus (“cushion”), derived from pulvis (“dust”), for the filler of a pillow. Doublet of pulvinus. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Peel (“pillow”), Alemannic German Pfulme (“pillow”), Dutch peluw (“a long, narrow pillow”), German Pfühl (“a big and soft pillow”), German Low German Pöhl (“pad, pillow, cushion”).

Words from the same roots