Where does “’re” come from?
’re (English) comes from English are, from Middle English aren, from Old English earon, from Old English bēon, from Proto-Germanic bijōniz, from Proto-Germanic bijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
’re (English): inflection of the verb "to be"
Definitions
- inflection of the verb "to be"
Ancestry of “’re”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | are | second-person singular simple present of be;... |
| 2 | Middle English | aren | Plural present indicative form of been |
| 3 | Old English | earon | third-person plural simple present of wesan |
| 4 | Old English | bēon | to be, become |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bijōniz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bijǭ | bee |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |