Where does “Be” come from?
Be (English) comes from Middle English be, from Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic bijō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- — to hit, to pierce.
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-West Germanic | *bijā | bee |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bijō | bee |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰī- | to hit, to pierce |
via Russian бэ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | бэ | The Cyrillic letter Б, б; The Roman letter B, b |