Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “birch” come from?

Birch comes from Middle English birche, from Old English birċe, from Proto-Germanic birkijǭ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰerHǵs, a word of uncertain origin meaning "birch tree."

birch (English): Any of various trees of the genus "Betula",...

Definitions

  1. Any of various trees of the genus "Betula",...

Ancestry of “birch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbirchebirch; mastic
2Old Englishbirċe—
3Proto-West Germanicbirkijābirch
4Proto-Germanicbirkijǭbirch
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerHǵosbirch

Words derived from “birch”

  • birchbark
  • birchwood
  • bircher
  • birchy
  • birchlike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰerHǵos →