Where does “Berry” come from?
Berry comes from Middle English bery, Old English byrġan, Proto-Germanic bergaz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots bʰer-, bʰeh₂-, and bʰerǵʰ-.
Ancestry of “Berry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | berye | berry, fruit; grape |
| 2 | Old English | berġe | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | baʀi | berry |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bazją | berry |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |