Where does “bemuddle” come from?

bemuddle (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.

bemuddle (English): to confuse, distort

Definitions

  1. to confuse, distort

Ancestry of “bemuddle”, step by step

bemuddle 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 muddle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmuddleTo mix together, to mix up; to confuse; To mash...
2Middle Dutchmoddelento make muddy
3Middle Dutchmodde—
4Proto-Germanicmud-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmū-fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle

Words derived from “bemuddle”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bijō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bijā →