different between hangnail vs fingernail

English

Etymology

Corruption of agnail (literally “painful (anguished) nail”), by folk-etymological reanalysis as hang +? nail; from Middle English agnail, from Old English angnæ?l, from ang- (“tight/painful”) +? næ?l (“nail”). The first part is from Proto-Germanic *anguz, from Proto-Indo-European *h?én??us (“narrow, tight”), while the second is from Proto-Germanic *naglaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h?neg?-. The first component, ang- is also the origin of anguish, anger, and angst, while næ?l is the origin of nail.

Original sense of “loose strip of tissue”; the sense of “pointed corner of nail” is modern, and is connected with the reanalysis, due to stockings catching or “hanging” on the nail.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?hæ?ne?l/
  • (US, Canada) IPA^(key): (see /æ/ raising) [he??ne???]

Noun

hangnail (plural hangnails)

1. A loose, narrow strip of nail tissue protruding from the side edge and anchored near the base of a fingernail or toenail.
2. A pointed upper corner of the toenail (often created by improperly trimming by rounding the corner) that, as the nail grows, presses into the flesh or protrudes so that it may catch (“hang”) on stockings or shoes.

Usage notes

• The modern sense of “sharp corner of nail” appears in promotional podiatry literature.

Synonyms

• agnail

Coordinate terms

• whitlow

Translations

Anagrams

• Langhian

English

Etymology

From finger +? nail. Compare Middle English nayl of fynger (“fingernail”) and Old English handnæ?l (“fingernail”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Fingernail (“fingernail”), West Frisian fingerneil (“fingernail”), Dutch vingernagel (“fingernail”), German Fingernagel (“fingernail”), Danish fingernegl (“fingernail”), Swedish fingernagel (“fingernail”), Norwegian fingernegl (“fingernail”), Icelandic fingurnögl (“fingernail”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?f?????ne?l/

Noun

fingernail (plural fingernails)

1. The hard, flat translucent covering near the tip of a human finger, useful for scratching and fine manipulation.

Meronyms

• cuticle
• quick

Derived terms

Related terms

• nail
• nail polish
• nail varnish
• thumbnail
• toenail

Translations