Where does “beekeeper” come from?

Beekeeper is a compound of English bee and keeper, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to exist" and "to guard or tend."

beekeeper (English): A person who maintains hives and keeps bees,...

Definitions

  1. A person who maintains hives and keeps bees,...

Ancestry of “beekeeper”, step by step

beekeeper traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Bee

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBeesomeone connected with Barnet Football Club, as a...
2Middle Englishbeento be; ben; plural of bee
3Old Englishbēnprayer, request; prayer, request, petition,...
4Proto-Germanicbanjōwound
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰon-yeh₂—
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰen-to strike, slay, kill
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰon-—

via English keeper

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishkeeperOne who keeps something; A person or thing worth...
2Middle Englishkepere—

Words derived from “beekeeper”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰon- →