Where does “birthright” come from?
birthright (English) comes from English birth, from Middle English birthen, from Old English byrþen, from Proto-West Germanic burþini, from Proto-West Germanic burþī, from Proto-Germanic burþį̄, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
birthright (English): Something owed since birth, due to inheritance
Definitions
- Something owed since birth, due to inheritance
Ancestry of “birthright”, step by step
birthright traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English birth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | birth | The process of childbearing; the beginning of... |
| 2 | Middle English | birthen | — |
| 3 | Old English | byrþen | burden |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | burþini | burden |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | burþī | burden |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | burþį̄ | burden |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |
via English right
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | right | Straight, not bent; Of an angle, having a size of... |
| 2 | Middle English | right | A good deed, right action; A just or equitable... |
| 3 | Old English | riht | straight; right, true, correct; rightful,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | reht | straight; right, correct; morally upright, just |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rehtaz | right, straight; morally upright, just |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵtós | straightened, right, upright |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |