How the word for Finger has changed

The origin and history of some of the European / Indo-European words for finger

B ← A   indicates that the word in language B has evolved directly
from a word in language A, or at least a very similar language. For
example, Persian did not evolve directly from Avestan, but the Old
Persian texts lack the more extensive vocabulary of the similar     
Avestan language. Alternatively, the word could be borrowed        
from another language. English is full of words borrowed from      
Old French.

Abbreviations at bottom of page
* = hypothetical, reconstructed

GERMANIC
WEST GERMANIC

English

finger ← M.Eng. finger ← O.Eng. finger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Scots

finger ← M.Sc. fynger ← O.Nth. fynger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Frisian
   North Frisian
      (Island)

Finger ← O.Fris. finger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

   North Frisian
      (Helgoland)

Finger ← O.Fris. finger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

   North Frisian
      (Mainland)

fainger ← O.Fris. finger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

   East Frisian

Finger ← O.Fris. finger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

   West Frisian

finger ← O.Fris. finger ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Dutch

vinger ← M.Du. vingher ← O.Du. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Afrikaans

vinger ← Dutch vinger ← M.Du. vingher ← O.Du. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Plattdeutsch

Finger ← M.L.G. vinger ← O.Sax. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

East Friesland Platt

Finger ← M.L.G. vinger ← O.Sax. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Kölsch (Cologne)

Finger ← M.L.G. vinger ← O.Sax. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Luxemburgish

Fanger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Moselle Platt Lorraine

Fénger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Rhine Platt Lorraine

Fénger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

German

Finger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Yiddish

finger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Alsace German

Finger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Swiss German

Finger ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Swabian

Fingr ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Bavarian

Glubbal ← M.H.G. vinger ← O.H.G. fingar ← Pr.W.Gmc. *fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)


NORTH GERMANIC

Icelandic

fingur ← O.N. fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Faroese

fingur ← O.N. fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Norwegian (Nynorsk)   

finger ← O.N. fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Norwegian

finger ← Rec.Dan. Finger ← O.N. fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Danish

finger ← Rec.Dan. Finger ← O.N. fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)

Swedish

finger ← O.Sw. finger ← O.N. fingr ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)


EAST GERMANIC

Gothic (extinct)

figgrs ← Pr.Gmc. *fingraz ← Lt.I.E. *penkwrós ← Pr.I.E. *penkwrós (*penkwe = five)


CELTIC
GOIDELIC

Irish

méar ← Rec.Ir. méar ← O.Ir. mér

Scottish Gaelic

corrag, meur ← O.Ir. mér

Manx

mair ← O.Ir. mér


BRITTONIC

Welsh

bys ← E.Mod.W. bys ← M.W. bys ← Pr.Clt. *bissis

Cornish

bys ← K.K. bys ← Uni.C. bys ← Lt.C. bez ← O.C. bis ← Pr.Clt. *bissis

Breton

biz ← Rec.Br. biz ← M.Br. bis ← O.Br. bis ← Pr.Clt. *bissis


GAULISH

Gaulish (extinct)

  - - - -


ROMANCE
WEST ROMANCE

Walloon

doet ← O.Fr. deit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Picard

doét ← O.Fr. deit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Guernsey French

deigt ← O.N.F. dei ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Jersey French

dé ← O.N.F. dei ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Gallo

dai ← O.Fr. deit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

French

doigt ← O.Fr. deit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Haitian Creole

dwèt ← French doigt ← O.Fr. deit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Auvergnat

det ← O.Pr. detz ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Gascon

dit ← O.Pr. detz ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Aranese

dit ← O.Pr. detz ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Aragonese

dido ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Asturian

deu ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Galician

dedo ← O.Gal./Port. dedo ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Portuguese

dedo ← O.Gal./Port. dedo ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Spanish

dedo ← O.Sp. dedo ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Valencian

dit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Catalan

dit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Occitan

det ← O.Pr. detz ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Provençal

det ← O.Pr. detz ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Francoprovençal

dêt ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Romansch

det ← Lat. digitum, digitus

    Sursilvan Romansch

det ← Lat. digitum, digitus

    Sutsilvan Romansch

det ← Lat. digitum, digitus

    Surmiran Romansch

det ← Lat. digitum, digitus

    Upper Engadine Romansch

daunt ← Lat. digitum, digitus

    Lower Engadine Romansch

daint ← Lat. digitum, digitus     Note: "daint" (finger) is a different word from "daint" (tooth)

Ladin

deit ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Friulan

dêt ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Monégasque

diu ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Ligurian

dïo ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Piedmontese

dil ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Lombard

díd ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Emilian

dîd ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Venetian

déo ← Lat. digitum, digitus


ITALO-ROMANCE

Italian

dito ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Corsican

ditu ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Neapolitan

dìto ← Lat. digitum, digitus

Sicilian

íditu ← Lat. digitum, digitus


DALMATIAN ROMANCE

Vegliot

detco ← Lat. digitum, digitus


BALKAN ROMANCE

Romanian

deget ← Lat. digitum, digitus


SOUTHERN ROMANCE

Sardinian

didu ← Lat. digitum, digitus


GREEK

Greek

dhákhtilo ← Anc.Gk. daktulos


ANATOLIAN

Hittite (extinct)

kalulupa-


ARMENIAN

Western Armenian

mad ← O.Arm. matn

Eastern Armenian

mat ← O.Arm. matn


ALBANIAN

Albanian

gisht ← O.Alb. gjisht, glisht ← Pr.Alb. *glista

Kosovo Albanian

gisht ← O.Alb. gjisht, glisht ← Pr.Alb. *glista


IRANIAN

Persian

angosht ← Av. angušta-

Kurdish

tilî ← Av. angušta-

Pashto

gūta’h ← Av. angušta-


INDIC
NORTHERN INDIC

Nepali

aunla ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-


WESTERN INDIC

Romani

angushtu ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-

Marathi

boṭ ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-

Gujarati

āṅgali ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-


CENTRAL INDIC

Hindi

unglī ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-

Urdu

unglī ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-


EASTERN INDIC

Bengali

angul ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-


SOUTHERN INDIC

Sinhalese

aṅgilya ← Pa. aṅguli ← Skt. aṅguli-


SLAVIC
WEST SLAVIC

Kashubian

palc ← O.C.S. palĭcĭ

Polish

palec ← O.C.S. palĭcĭ

Lower Sorbian

palc ← O.C.S. palĭcĭ

Upper Sorbian

porst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Czech

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Slovak

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ


SOUTH SLAVIC

Slovene

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Croatian

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Bosnian

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Serbian

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Macedonian

prst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ

Bulgarian

prŭst ← O.C.S. prŭstŭ


EAST SLAVIC

Russian

paljec ← O.C.S. palĭcĭ

Belarusian

palec ← O.C.S. palĭcĭ

Ukrainian

palec ← O.C.S. palĭcĭ


BALTIC

Lithuanian

pirštas

Latvian

pirksts


FINNO-UGRIAN

Estonian

sõrm ← Pr.Fi. *sormi ← Pr.Ur. *sorme

Finnish

sormi ← Pr.Fi.*sormi ← Pr.Ur. *sorme

Sami

suorbma ← Pr.Ur. *sorme

Erzya

sur ← Pr.Ur. *sorme

Komi (Zyrian)

čun’

Mansi (Vogul)

tulja

Hungarian

ujj ← Pr.Ur. *suwd’a


BASQUE

Basque

hatz


SEMITIC

Maltese

saba’ ← Pr.Sem. ʕiṣbaʕ where ʕ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative

Arabic

’isba’ ← Pr.Sem. ʕiṣbaʕ where ʕ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative

Hebrew

etsba ← O.T.H. ’eṣba‘ ← Pr.Sem. ʕiṣbaʕ where ʕ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative

Aramaic

so‘a ← N.T.A. ṣeḅ‘ā’ ← Pr.Sem. ʕiṣbaʕ where ʕ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative

Babylonian (extinct)

  - - - -


TURKIC

Turkish

parmak

Azerbaijani

barmaq




My other websites:
Languages of the World
New Nutshell
Christianity in a Nutshell

My wife's websites:
Meaning of Life
Bits


I’d like to share with you why I think Christianity is such a great religion. A person who lives to 70 has a life of 613,200 hours. Christianity promises that the next life will be in ideal surroundings with friendly, happy people. There will be perfect health and no crime. Of course you’re free to reject the offer of eternal life.

Isn’t it worth, though, spending at least part of one of your 613,200 hours just checking it out. Then if you reject it, at least you’ll have made an informed decision. Is it just possible that your world view could be wrong and Christianity might actually be true? Where would that leave you if you choose to turn down the offer of heaven?


These are some of my wife's thoughts and ideas:





God said, "Be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or
discouraged, for I, the LORD your God, am with you wherever
you go."

Joshua 1,9



ABBREVIATIONS

Anc.Gk. = Ancient Greek (700 B.C. - 450 A.D.)
Av. = Avestan (600 B.C. - 400 B.C.)
E.Mod.W. = Early Modern Welsh (1450 - 1600)
K.K. = Kernewek Kemmyn - "Common Cornish" (1986 - 2008)
Lat. = Latin (75 B.C. - 250 A.D.)
Lt.C. = Late Cornish (1600 - 1891)
Lt.I.E. = Late Indo-European (2,500 B.C. - 2,000 B.C.)
M.Br. = Middle Breton (1100 - 1650)
M.C. = Middle Cornish (1200 - 1600)
M.Du. = Middle Dutch (1150 - 1500)
M.Eng. = Middle English (1150 - 1450)
M.H.G. = Middle High German (1050 - 1350)
M.L.G. = Middle Low German (1200 - 1600)
M.Sc. = Middle Scots (1450 - 1700)
M.W. = Middle Welsh (1200 - 1450)
N.T.A. = New Testament Aramaic (1st century A.D.)
O.Alb. = Old Albanian (1284 - 1908)
O.Arm. = Old Armenian (450 - 1050)
O.Br. = Old Breton (800 - 1100)
O.C. = Old Cornish (850- 1200)
O.C.S. = Old Church Slavonic (850 - 1050)
O.Cat. = Old Catalan (850 - 1550)
O.Dan. = Old Danish (1100 - 1536)
O.Du. = Old Dutch (450 - 1150)
O.Eng. = Old English (650 - 1150)
O.Fr. = Old French (750 - 1350)
O.Fris. = Old Frisian (750 - 1500)
O.Gal./Port. = Old Galician / Old Portuguese (775 - 1050)
O.H.G. = Old High German (400 - 1050)
O.Ir. = Old Irish (550 - 950)
O.It. = Old Italian (1150 - 1350)
O.N. = Old Norse (750 - 1350)
O.N.F. = Old Norman French (1000 - 1450)
O.Nth. = Old Northumbrian (650 - 1000)
O.Pol. = Old Polish (950 - 1550)
O.Pr. = Old Provençal (900 - 1400)
O.Sax. = Old Saxon (750 - 1150)
O.Sp. = Old Spanish (950 - 1400)
O.Sw. = Old Swedish (1225 - 1526)
O.T.H. = Old Testament Hebrew (1200 B.C. - 200 A.D.)
O.W. = Old Welsh (800 - 1200)
Pa. = Pali (50 B.C. - 400 A.D.)
Pr.Alb. = Proto-Albanian
Pr.Arm. = Proto-Armenian (c.1200 B.C.)
Pr.Brit. = Proto-Brittonic (500 B.C. - 550 A.D.)
Pr.Clt. = Proto-Celtic (1300 B.C. - 800 B.C.)
Pr.Fi. = Proto-Finnic (1200 B.C. - 800 A.D.)
Pr.Gmc. = Proto-Germanic (500 B.C. - 150 A.D.)
Pr.I.E. = Proto-Indo-European (4,500 B.C. - 2,500 B.C.)
Pr.It. = Proto-Italic (1,700 B.C. - 700 B.C.)
Pr.Sem. = Proto-Semitic (3,500 B.C.)
Pr.Ug. = Proto-Ugric (2000 B.C. - 1000 B.C.)
Pr.Ur. = Proto-Uralic (pre-2000 B.C.)
Pr.W.Gmc. = Proto-West Germanic (150 A.D. - 400 A.D.)
Rec.Br. = Recent Breton (pre-1941)
Rec.Dan. = Recent Danish (pre-1948)
Rec.Ir. = Recent Irish (pre-1947)
Skt. = Sanskrit (1,500 B.C. - 500 B.C.)
Uni.C. = Unified Cornish (1929 - 2008)
V.Lat. = Vulgar Latin (50 B.C. - 650 A.D.)


* = hypothetical, reconstructed


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