Where does “begin” come from?
Begin comes from Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan, from Proto-Germanic biginnaną, combining the prefix bi- with a root derived from Proto-Indo-European h₁epi and ki-.
begin (English): To start, to initiate or take the first step into...
Definitions
- To start, to initiate or take the first step into...
Ancestry of “begin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | beginnen | start; begin |
| 2 | Old English | beginnan | to begin |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *biginnan | to start, to begin |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | biginnaną | to begin |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi- | by, at |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |