Where does “” come from?

bé (Champenois) comes from Old French bel, from Latin bellus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

(Champenois): beautiful

Definitions

  1. beautiful

Ancestry of “”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old FrenchbelAlternative form of biau; good, pretty
2Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
3Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
4LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁-Every word from Latin vellusEvery word from Latin villus