Where does “beanstalk” come from?
beanstalk (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-.
beanstalk (English): The stem of a bean plant, proverbially...
Definitions
- The stem of a bean plant, proverbially...
Ancestry of “beanstalk”, step by step
beanstalk 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 stalk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | stalk | The stem or main axis of a plant, which supports... |
| 2 | Middle English | stalken | to stalk |
| 3 | Old English | stealcian | to stalk |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | stalkaz | high, lofty, steep, stiff |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tAlg- / -e- | to jut out, protrude |