Where does “bits” come from?
Bits comes from Old English bita, from Proto-Germanic bitiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, ultimately from the root bʰī- meaning to split or divide.
bits (English): plural of bit; genitals
Ancestry of “bits”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bit | A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and... |
| 2 | Middle English | bitte | — |
| 3 | Old English | byt | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *buttjā | — |
| 5 | Latin | buttia | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βούττιον | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐον | diminutive suffix; "suffix forming... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |
Words derived from “bits”