Where does “bait” come from?
Bait comes from Middle English beite, from Old Norse beita, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, meaning to break or split.
bait (English): Any substance, especially food, used in catching...
Definitions
- Any substance, especially food, used in catching...
Ancestry of “bait”, step by step
bait traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English bayte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bayte | Bait or lure; objects used as a bait or lure;... |
| 2 | Old Norse | beita | to graze; to allow, let, make bite; to steer or... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | baitō | That which is or can be bitten; food; bait |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
via French battre de l'aile
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | battre de l'aile | to go into decline, to wane be in difficulty; to be on the rocks, on the skids |