Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bees” come from?

Bees derives from English be, ultimately tracing through English by and English be in a semantic lineage of uncertain meaning.

bees (English): plural of bee

Definitions

  1. plural of bee

Ancestry of “bees”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbeeA flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within...
2Middle EnglishbeeA bee
3Old EnglishbēoI become, I will be, I am; bee
4Proto-Germanicbiumifirst-person singular present active indicative...
5Proto-Germanic*beuną—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →