Where does “beggar” come from?
Beggar comes from Middle English beggere, from the verb Middle English beggen, from Old English becgan, from Old English bedecian, from Proto-Germanic bedagô, from Proto-Germanic bedō, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰedʰ-.
beggar (English): A person who begs; A person suffering from...
Definitions
- A person who begs; A person suffering from...
Ancestry of “beggar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | beggere | A beggar one who begs for alms |
| 2 | Middle English | beggen | to beg |
| 3 | Old English | becgan | — |
| 4 | Old English | bedecian | to beg |
| 5 | Old English | bedu | request; prayer; supplication; religious worship |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | betuyā | birch |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷetu-yo-s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |