Where does “birth” come from?

Birth comes from Middle English birthen, from Old English byrþen, from Old French bourde, from Proto-Germanic burdą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- meaning to carry or bear.

birth (English): The process of childbearing; the beginning of...

Definitions

  1. The process of childbearing; the beginning of...

Ancestry of “birth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbirthen
2Old Englishbyrþenburden
3Proto-West Germanicburþiniburden
4Proto-West Germanicburþīburden
5Proto-Germanicburþį̄burden
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “birth

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr-