Etymology Map
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Foot

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the lower part of the leg that one stands on

Where does the word "foot" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic fōts, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
fōts
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"foot"
cognate with Latin 'pēs, pedis', as in 'pedal', by Grimm's law
2
Stage 2 of 3
fōt
Old English · 700s-1000s
"foot"
its plural 'fēt' came from a vowel change, giving 'feet'
3
Stage 3 of 3
foot
English · 1500s
"foot"
as a length it was later fixed at twelve inches
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Read the full story

Foot’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: fōts meant “foot.” Cognate with Latin 'pēs, pedis', as in 'pedal', by Grimm's law. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as fōt. Its plural 'fēt' came from a vowel change, giving 'feet'. It reached English by 1500s as foot. As a length it was later fixed at twelve inches. Today, foot means the lower part of the leg that one stands on.