Where does “beancounting” come from?
beancounting (English) comes from English bean, from Middle English bene, from Old English bēn, from Proto-Germanic banjō, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰon-yeh₂, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰen-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰon-.
beancounting (English): The act or policy of relying on quantitative measurable details, especially those concerned with expenses and profits, as opposed to seeking a broader understanding of something
Definitions
- The act or policy of relying on quantitative measurable details, especially those concerned with expenses and profits, as opposed to seeking a broader understanding of something
Ancestry of “beancounting”, step by step
beancounting traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bean
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bean | Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic... |
| 2 | Middle English | bene | gracious, generous, pleasant; neighbourly help,... |
| 3 | Old English | bēn | prayer, request; prayer, request, petition,... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | banjō | wound |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰon-yeh₂ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |
via English counting
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | counting | a count; the act by which something is counted;... |