Where does “betroth” come from?
betroth (English) comes from Middle English bitrouthen, from Middle English bi-, from Old English bī-, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi — on, onto.
betroth (English): To promise to give in marriage; To promise to...
Definitions
- To promise to give in marriage; To promise to...
Ancestry of “betroth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bitrouthen | — |
| 2 | Middle English | bi- | A prefix forming transitive verbs from any content word, often denoting completion or thoroughness |
| 3 | Old English | bī- | by, near, around; by- |
| 4 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |