muñeca

wrist; female equivalent of muñeco (“doll”)

Inherited from Old Spanish munneca, from Old Spanish monneka (“milestone or landmark”) (a. 1011), from Paleo-Hispanic, possibly pre-Indo-European. Compare Basque muino (“hill”). Its original meaning was first 'milestone or landmark', then 'protuberance', from which both senses of 'wrist' and 'doll' come. Some have suggested it may have originated from monnula (“(female) friend”). Compare Spanish moño (“a bow, ribbon”) and muñón (“stump”); see also Portuguese boneca (“doll”). Attested as early as