Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “billon” come from?

billon (English) comes from French billon, from Old French bille, from Vulgar Latin billia, from Gaulish bilia, from Proto-Celtic belyom, from Proto-Indo-European bʰolh₃yom, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.

billon (English): Any of several alloys of precious metals and base...

Definitions

  1. Any of several alloys of precious metals and base...

Ancestry of “billon”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchbillonbillon; ridge
2Old Frenchbillestick; baton; written decree, announcement
3Vulgar Latinbillia—
4Gaulishbiliatall tree
5Proto-Celticbelyomtree
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰolh₃yomleaf
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →