Where does “befetter” come from?

befetter (English) comes from English Be, from Middle English be, from Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic bijō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- — to hit, to pierce.

befetter (English): To confine with fetters; restrain as if by...

Definitions

  1. To confine with fetters; restrain as if by...

Ancestry of “befetter”, step by step

befetter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Be

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBeAs an auxiliary verb
2Middle EnglishbeAlternative form of been; Alternative form of...
3Old EnglishbēoI become, I will be, I am; bee
4Proto-West Germanic*bijābee
5Proto-Germanicbijōbee
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰī-to hit, to pierce

via English fetter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfetterA chain or similar object used to bind a person...
2Old Englishfetera fetter
3Proto-Germanicfeturazfetter
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpēd-foot
5Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bijō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bijā →