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
- A blood sport in which dogs are set upon a...
Ancestry of “bearbaiting”, step by step
bearbaiting traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bearbait
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bearbait | An instance of bearbaiting; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | English | bear | A large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and... |
| 3 | Middle English | bere | bear; To pierce |
| 4 | Old English | bere | barley; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 5 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via English baiting
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | baiting | present participle of bait; A bloodsport... |
| 2 | English | bait | Any substance, especially food, used in catching... |
| 3 | Middle English | bayte | Bait or lure; objects used as a bait or lure;... |
| 4 | Old Norse | beita | to graze; to allow, let, make bite; to steer or... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | baitō | That which is or can be bitten; food; bait |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |