Where does “bei” come from?
bei (Dutch) comes from Turkish bey, from Ottoman Turkish بك, from Old Turkic 𐰋𐰏, from Proto-Turkic *bēg, from Proto-Iranian bagáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian bʰagás, from Proto-Indo-European bʰh₂g-ó-s, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂g- — to divide, distribute, allot.
bei (Dutch): berry; bey, beg
Ancestry of “bei”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Turkish | bey | gentleman, mister; lord, master; husband |
| 2 | Ottoman Turkish | بك | ruler; the ace in card- and boardgames |
| 3 | Old Turkic | 𐰋𐰏 | head of a clan, chief |
| 4 | Proto-Turkic | *bēg | — |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | bagáh | god |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | bʰagás | portion, part, share, allotment; fate, destiny;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰh₂g-ó-s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂g- | to divide, distribute, allot |