Where does “bitstream” come from?

bitstream (English) comes from English stream, from Middle English streem, from Middle English strem, from Old English strēam, from Proto-West Germanic straum, from Proto-Germanic straumaz, from Proto-Indo-European srowmos, from Proto-Indo-European srew- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.

bitstream (English): A stream of bits

Definitions

  1. A stream of bits

Ancestry of “bitstream”, step by step

bitstream traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English stream

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstreamA small river; a large creek; a body of moving...
2Middle EnglishstreemAlternative form of strem
3Middle EnglishstremA waterbody; a region of the world containing...
4Old Englishstrēamcurrent; stream
5Proto-West Germanicstraumstream
6Proto-Germanicstraumazstream, current, river
7Proto-Indo-Europeansrowmosriver
8Proto-Indo-Europeansrew-to flow, stream
9Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together

via English bit

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbitA piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and...
2Middle EnglishbitteA flexible container for water or wine; a waterskin or wineskin
3Old Englishbytbottle, flagon
4Proto-Germanic*buttjā—
5Latinbuttiacask, barrel
6Ancient Greekβούττιον—
7Ancient Greek-ῐονdiminutive suffix; "suffix forming...
8Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European srew- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European srowmos →