Where does “begrease” come from?

begrease (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.

begrease (English): To soil or daub with grease or other oily matter

Definitions

  1. To soil or daub with grease or other oily matter

Ancestry of “begrease”, step by step

begrease 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 grease

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgreaseAnimal fat in a melted or soft state; Any oily or...
2Middle EnglishGreceA step; a part of a staircase or set of stairs
3Anglo-Normancraisse—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bijō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bijā →