Where does “beetle” come from?
Beetle derives from Middle English betel, Old English bīetel, and Proto-Germanic bitulaz, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-.
beetle (English): Any of numerous species of insect in the order...
Definitions
- Any of numerous species of insect in the order...
Ancestry of “beetle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bitle | — |
| 2 | Old English | bitula | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bitulaz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bītaną | to bite |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
Words derived from “beetle”