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

  1. To pester, as fleas do

Ancestry of “beflea”, step by step

beflea traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English flea

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfleaA small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order...
2Middle Englishfleflea
3Old Englishflēa—
4Proto-West Germanicflauhflea
5Proto-Germanicflauhazflea
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplówkos—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanplúsisflea

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plúsis →Every word from Proto-Indo-European plówkos →Every word from Proto-Germanic flauhaz →