Where does “Be” come from?
Be (English) comes from Middle English be, from Old English bēo, from Proto-Germanic biumi, from Proto-Germanic *beuną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
Be (English): As an auxiliary verb
Definitions
- As an auxiliary verb
Ancestry of “Be”, step by step
Be traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English be
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | be | Alternative form of been; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | bēo | I become, I will be, I am; bee |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | biumi | first-person singular present active indicative... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *beuną | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |
via Russian бэ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | бэ | The Cyrillic letter Б, б; The Roman letter B, b |