girdle
GUR-duhl · noun
Origin
From Middle English girdel, gerdel, gurdel, from Old English gyrdel, from Proto-West Germanic *gurdil, from Proto-Germanic *gurdilaz, meaning 'girdle' or 'belt' — built from the root gird plus the suffix -le.
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Journey
The word has stayed close to its roots throughout: from Old English gyrdel to Middle English girdel, it has always named a belt-like band worn around the body.
Related words
It's cognate with German Gürtel and Dutch gordel, both meaning 'belt,' as well as Swedish gördel and Icelandic gyrðill, all pointing back to the same Germanic idea of binding something round the waist.