Where does “bookstave” come from?
bookstave (English) comes from Middle English bocstaff, from Old English bōcstæf, from Old English bōc, from Proto-Germanic bōk, from Proto-Germanic bakaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₃g- — to bake, to roast, to fry.
bookstave (English): Alternative form of bookstaff
Definitions
- Alternative form of bookstaff
Ancestry of “bookstave”, step by step
bookstave traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English bocstaff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bocstaff | letter, written character |
| 2 | Old English | bōcstæf | letter, written character; alphabetic symbol,... |
| 3 | Old English | bōc | beech; book |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bōk | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bakaną | to bake |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₃g- | to bake, to roast, to fry |
via Middle English bocstaf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bocstaf | letter; symbol; written character |