Where does “beflea” come from?
beflea (English) comes from English flea, from Middle English fle, from Old English flēa, from Proto-West Germanic flauh, from Proto-Germanic flauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European plówkos, from Proto-Indo-European plúsis — flea.
beflea (English): To pester, as fleas do
Definitions
- To pester, as fleas do
Ancestry of “beflea”, step by step
beflea traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English flea
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | flea | A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order... |
| 2 | Middle English | fle | flea |
| 3 | Old English | flēa | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | flauh | flea |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | flauhaz | flea |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plówkos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plúsis | flea |
via English Be
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Be | As an auxiliary verb |
| 2 | Middle English | be | Alternative form of been; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | bēo | I become, I will be, I am; bee |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | biumi | first-person singular present active indicative... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *beuną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |