Where does “beshrew” come from?

beshrew (English) comes from Middle English beschrewen, from Middle English bi, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts — on, onto.

beshrew (English): To invoke or wish evil upon; to curse; An...

Definitions

  1. To invoke or wish evil upon; to curse; An...

Ancestry of “beshrew”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbeschrewenTo call a "shrew"; To scold; speak ill of;...
2Middle Englishbiby
3Old Englishlullaby!; near, by; by, near, around
4Proto-West Germanicby, at; near, around
5Proto-Germanicbiby, at; near, around
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en-