Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bearbaiting” come from?

bearbaiting (English) comes from English bearbait, from English bear, from Middle English bere, from Old English bere, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum — smoke; mist, haze.

bearbaiting (English): A blood sport in which dogs are set upon a...

Definitions

  1. A blood sport in which dogs are set upon a...

Ancestry of “bearbaiting”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbearbaitAn instance of bearbaiting; Alternative form of...
2EnglishbearA large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and...
3Middle Englishberebear; To pierce
4Old Englishberebarley; first-person singular present indicative...
5Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
6Proto-West Germanictūnfence
7Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
8Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
9Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →