Etymology tree English ab- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-? Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs-der. Proto-Italic *aksis Latin axisbor. English axis Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English axial English abaxial From ab- (“away from”) + axial (“axis”).