bowel

Where does the word "bowel" come from? It comes from Latin botellus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Bowel’s story begins in Latin: botellus meant “small sausage.” A diminutive of 'botulus', sausage. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as boel. The intestines. It reached English by 1300s as bowel. 'botulism' shares the root. Today, bowel means the intestine.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient botellus "small sausage", a diminutive of 'botulus', sausage.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval boel "intestine", the intestines.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s bowel "intestine", 'botulism' shares the root.