Where does “betimes” come from?
Betimes comes from Middle English bitimes, combining Middle English time with Old English bī, derived from Latin thema and ultimately Ancient Greek θέμα and τίθημι, meaning to place or put.
betimes (English): In good season or time; early, especially in the...
Definitions
- In good season or time; early, especially in the...
Ancestry of “betimes”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bityme | on time, in good time, early enough |
| 2 | Middle English | bi | by |
| 3 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |