Etymology Map
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Nose

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means the part of the face used for smelling and breathing

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
nusō
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"nose"
cognate with Latin 'nāsus', as in 'nasal'
2
Stage 2 of 3
nosu
Old English · 700s-1000s
"nose"
'nosþyrel', nose-hole, gave 'nostril'
3
Stage 3 of 3
nose
English · 1500s
"nose"
'nosy', inquisitive, dates from the 1880s
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Read the full story

Nose’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: nusō meant “nose.” Cognate with Latin 'nāsus', as in 'nasal'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as nosu. 'nosþyrel', nose-hole, gave 'nostril'. It reached English by 1500s as nose. 'nosy', inquisitive, dates from the 1880s. Today, nose means the part of the face used for smelling and breathing.