Where does “begay” come from?

begay (English) comes from English Gay, from English Queen, from Middle English quene, from Old English cwene, from Old English cwēn, from Proto-West Germanic kwāni, from Proto-Germanic kwēniz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn — woman.

begay (English): To make cheerful or merry

Definitions

  1. To make cheerful or merry

Ancestry of “begay”, step by step

begay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Gay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGayoriginally a nickname for a cheerful or lively person
2EnglishQueenA title used before the personal name of a queen
3Middle EnglishqueneA queen; Any powerful woman noble; A female...
4Old Englishcwenea woman; inflection of cwēn: ##...
5Old Englishcwēnqueen; woman, wife, queen
6Proto-West Germanickwāniwoman, wife
7Proto-Germanickwēnizwife
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʷḗnwoman
9Proto-Indo-Europeangʷen-woman

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-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 gʷen-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗnEvery word from Proto-Germanic kwēniz