Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Body” come from?

Body comes from Middle English body, from Old English bodiġ, from Proto-West Germanic bodag, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewdʰ-.

Ancestry of “Body”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbodemessenger
2Old Englishbodamessenger, envoy, herald, apostle, angel; prophet
3Proto-Germanicbudômessenger
4Proto-Germanicbeudanąto offer, to bid
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰewdʰ-to be awake, be aware

Words derived from “Body”

  • Bodie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰewdʰ- →