Where does “bite” come from?
Bite comes from Middle English biten, from Old English betēon, from Proto-Germanic bītaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, ultimately derived from the root bʰī-.
bite (English): To cut into something by clamping the teeth; To...
Definitions
- To cut into something by clamping the teeth; To...
Ancestry of “bite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | biten | to bite |
| 2 | Old English | betēon | to cover, surround, enclose; to cover, surround,... |
| 3 | Old English | tēon | to drag, draw, pull; to train, discipline; to... |
| 4 | Old English | tēohan | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | teuhan | to pull; to lead |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | teuhaną | to lead; to pull behind oneself, draw, drag |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |