Where does “are” come from?
Are comes from French are, from Latin area meaning "open space," from Arabic بَان, from Old English bēon, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- meaning "to grow" or "to be."
are (English): second-person singular simple present of be;...
Definitions
- second-person singular simple present of be;...
Ancestry of “are”, step by step
are traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English aren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | aren | Plural present indicative form of been |
| 2 | Old English | earon | third-person plural simple present of wesan |
| 3 | Old English | bēon | to be, become |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bijōniz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bijǭ | bee |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
via French are
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | are | an are |
| 2 | Latin | ārea | a piece of level ground, a vacant place (esp. in the town) |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | āzeā | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs-e-yeh₂ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eHs- | to be/become dry; to burn, to glow; hearth |
via Estonian Are
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Estonian | Are | — |