Where does “begowk” come from?

begowk (English) comes from English Be, from Middle English be, from Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic bijō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- — to hit, to pierce.

begowk (English): To play a trick on, make a fool of

Definitions

  1. To play a trick on, make a fool of

Ancestry of “begowk”, step by step

begowk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English gowk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgowkA cuckoo; A fool; To make foolish; to stupefy
2Middle EnglishgowkeAlternative form of goke
3Old Norsegaukrcuckoo
4Proto-Germanicgaukazcuckoo
5Proto-Indo-EuropeangʰAuǵ-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bijō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bijā →