Where does “betrail” come from?
betrail (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.
betrail (English): To trail over or about
Definitions
- To trail over or about
Ancestry of “betrail”, step by step
betrail 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 trail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trail | To follow behind (someone or something); to tail (someone or something) |
| 2 | Middle English | trailen | to hang loosely, drag along, drag away |
| 3 | Old French | trailler | to tow; pick up the scent of a quarry |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | tragulare | to drag |
| 5 | Latin | trāgula | a javelin or dart having a throwing-strap (āmentum) |