Where does “big” come from?

Big derives from Middle English big, from Old Norse byggja, from Proto-Germanic bugjaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰewgʰ-, itself from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-.

big (English): Of great size, large; Thought to have undue...

Definitions

  1. Of great size, large; Thought to have undue...

Ancestry of “big”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbig—
2Middle Englishbiggenbuild; dwell
3Old Norsebyggjato settle, build; to inhabit, dwell, live; to let...
4Proto-Germanicbūwijanąto settle, to inhabit
5Proto-Germanicbūanąto dwell, reside
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

Words derived from “big”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →