Where does “bierbalk” come from?
bierbalk (English) comes from English balk, from Middle English balke, from Old English balca, from Old Norse balkr, from Proto-Germanic balkô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵ- — to balk, beam.
bierbalk (English): A church road for funerals
Definitions
- A church road for funerals
Ancestry of “bierbalk”, step by step
bierbalk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English balk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | balk | An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field... |
| 2 | Middle English | balke | balk, ridge, beam; Alternative form of bakke |
| 3 | Old English | balca | balk, beam; bank, ridge; a covering |
| 4 | Old Norse | balkr | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | balkô | beam, balk |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵ- | to balk, beam |
via English bier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bier | A litter to transport the corpse of a dead... |
| 2 | Middle English | beer | — |
| 3 | Old English | bēr | bier; a litter to transport dead people |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bāru | stretcher, bier |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bērō | that which bears or carries; stretcher, bier |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |