Where does “birr” come from?

birr (English) comes from Middle English bir, from Old English bȳre, from Proto-Germanic buriz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

birr (English): strength, vigor, energy; The force of movement;...

Definitions

  1. strength, vigor, energy; The force of movement;...

Ancestry of “birr”, step by step

birr traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English bir

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbirA strong or favorable wind; An armed assault or...
2Old Englishbȳrechild, son, descendant; young man, youth
3Proto-Germanicburizmale offspring; son; elevation; hill; favourable...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

via Amharic ብር

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Amharicብርsilver
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →Every word from Proto-Germanic buriz →Every word from Old English bȳre →