Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bewitchment” come from?

bewitchment (English) comes from English bewitch, from English be-, 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 — on, onto.

bewitchment (English): The characteristic of being bewitched

Definitions

  1. The characteristic of being bewitched

Ancestry of “bewitchment”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbewitchTo cast a spell upon; To fascinate or charm; To...
2Englishbe-By, near, next to, around, close to; Around;...
3Middle Englishbi-—
4Old Englishbī-by, near, around; by-
5Old Englishbīlullaby!; near, by; by, near, around
6Proto-West Germanicbīby, at; near, around
7Proto-Germanicbiby, at; near, around
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →