Where does “bay tree” come from?
bay tree (English) comes from English Bay, from French baie, from French bai, from Old French bai, from Latin badius, from Proto-Indo-European bodyos — yellow.
bay tree (English): A laurel tree
Ancestry of “bay tree”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Bay | — |
| 2 | French | baie | berry; bay; feminine singular of bai |
| 3 | French | bai | bay |
| 4 | Old French | bai | bay-colored |
| 5 | Latin | badius | reddish brown, chestnut colored, bay |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bodyos | yellow |