Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “berries” come from?

Berries derives from Middle English bery, Old English byrġan, Proto-Germanic bergaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots bʰer-, bʰeh₂-, and bʰerǵʰ-, ultimately referring to something carried or borne.

berries (English): plural of berry; Third-person singular simple...

Definitions

  1. plural of berry; Third-person singular simple...

Ancestry of “berries”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishberryA small succulent fruit, of any one of many...
2Middle Englishberyeberry, fruit; grape
3Old Englishberġe—
4Proto-West Germanicbaʀiberry
5Proto-Germanicbazjąberry
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₂-to shine, glow light; to speak, say
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₂-s-ri-—

Words derived from “berries”

  • whistleberries
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂-s-ri- →