navel
UK[ˈneɪvəl]US[ˈneɪvəl]
n
The small hollow or raised area in the middle of a person's stomach, left after the umbilical cord is cut at birth.
Etymology
The word 'navel' has a direct lineage from the Old English 'nafela', tracing back to the ancient Proto-Indo-European root 'nobh-', which signified both the central point of the body and the central point of a wheel, the hub. This dual meaning reflects a conceptual link between the body's center and the axle-hole of a wheel, a metaphor for centrality found in several ancient languages. The Latin 'umbilicus' and the Greek 'omphalos' share this same root, with the latter famously used to denote the sacred stone at Delphi considered the center of the world. Over time, the English term specialized to refer solely to the anatomical feature, shedding its mechanical association while retaining the core idea of a central, focal point.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It is derived from the Old English 'nafela', which is related to the Proto-Germanic 'nabalan-'. Its ultimate origin is the Proto-Indo-European root 'ombh-', 'nobh-', meaning 'navel' and also 'hub', which is also the source of the Latin 'umbilicus' and the Greek 'omphalos'.
Examples
The baby's navel was carefully cleaned after the cord fell off.
She wore a jeweled ring in her pierced navel.
In some cultures, the navel is considered a spiritual center of the body.