Where does “bearskin” come from?
Bearskin is a compound of English bear and English skin, with bear deriving from Old English bere, from Proto-Indo-European bʰers-, ultimately from bʰer- meaning to carry or bear.
bearskin (English): The pelt of a bear, especially when used as a...
Definitions
- The pelt of a bear, especially when used as a...
Ancestry of “bearskin”, step by step
bearskin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bear | A large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and... |
| 2 | Middle English | bere | bear; To pierce |
| 3 | Old English | bere | barley; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |