Where does “betoil” come from?
betoil (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.
betoil (English): To worry or exercise with toil
Definitions
- To worry or exercise with toil
Ancestry of “betoil”, step by step
betoil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Be
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Be | As an auxiliary verb |
| 2 | Middle English | be | Alternative form of been; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | bēo | I become, I will be, I am; bee |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *bijā | bee |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bijō | bee |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰī- | to hit, to pierce |
via English toil
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | toil | Labour, work, especially of a grueling nature;... |
| 2 | Middle English | toilen, toylen | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | toiller | to agitate, stir up, entangle; to dirty; to mark;... |