* Old English: The original word was "stōma", derived from the Old Norse "stami" meaning "trunk" or "stump". This referred to the main part of the body, and later became associated with the belly specifically.
* Latin Influence: The word "stomach" itself came from the Latin "stomachus", which was borrowed from the Greek "στόμαχος (stomachos)". Interestingly, the Greek word originally meant "throat" or "gullet", highlighting the connection between swallowing and the digestive process.
So, the word "stomach" originally referred to the main part of the body, then evolved to mean the belly, and finally adopted its current meaning of the digestive organ thanks to its association with the process of swallowing.