Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Bak” come from?

Bak (English) comes from Korean 박, from Chinese 泊, from English poise, from Middle English poys, from Middle French pois, from Latin pēnsum, from Latin pendō, from Proto-Italic pendō — to stretch.

Ancestry of “Bak”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean박gourd; calabash; gourd shell; head
2Chinese泊—
3EnglishpoiseA state of balance, equilibrium or stability;...
4Middle Englishpoys—
5Middle Frenchpoisweight
6Latinpēnsum—
7Latinpendō—
8Proto-Italicpendōhang, put in a hanging position
9Proto-Indo-European(s)péndeti—
10Proto-Indo-European(s)pend-to stretch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pend- →