Where does “bitumen” come from?

Bitumen comes from Latin bitumen, from Gaulish bitu, from Proto-Celtic betwiyos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷet- meaning to pitch or smear.

bitumen (English): Mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning...

Definitions

  1. Mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning...

Ancestry of “bitumen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinbitumenmineral pitch, bitumen
2Gaulishbitu
3Proto-Celticbetwiyos
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʷét-resin, gum

Words derived from “bitumen

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷét-Every word from Proto-Celtic betwiyosEvery word from Gaulish bitu