Where does “between” come from?
Between derives from Middle English betwene, from Old English betwēonum, combining Proto-Germanic bi- (from Proto-Indo-European h₁epi, meaning "upon") with a form based on Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ ("two") and key- ("to lie").
between (English): In the position or interval that separates , or...
Definitions
- In the position or interval that separates , or...
Ancestry of “between”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | betwene | — |
| 2 | Old English | betwēonum | between, among, amid, in the midst, meanwhile;... |
| 3 | Old English | be | by |
| 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 |
Words derived from “between”