Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. The stem of a bean plant, proverbially...

Ancestry of “beanstalk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbeanAny plant of several genera of the taxonomic...
2Middle Englishbenegracious, generous, pleasant; neighbourly help,...
3Old Englishbēnprayer, request; prayer, request, petition,...
4Proto-Germanicbanjōwound
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰon-yeh₂—
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰen-to strike, slay, kill
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰon-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰon- →