Where does “beloved” come from?
Beloved comes from Old English belufod, composed of the prefix be- and lufian (to love), with the past participle suffix -od ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂tos and the root ley- meaning to like or desire.
beloved (English): Much loved, dearly loved; Someone who is loved;...
Definitions
- Much loved, dearly loved; Someone who is loved;...
Ancestry of “beloved”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | belove | simple past tense of belive; To please; To be... |
| 2 | Middle English | belove | — |
| 3 | Old English | belāf | — |
| 4 | Old English | belīfan | to remain, stay |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bilībaną | to stay, to remain in place |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi- | by, at |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |