Where does “born” come from?
Born comes from Old English boren, past participle of beran, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-, a root meaning to carry or bear.
born (English): past participle of bear; given birth to; past...
Definitions
- past participle of bear; given birth to; past...
Ancestry of “born”, step by step
born traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English bear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bear | A large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and... |
| 2 | Middle English | bere | bear; To pierce |
| 3 | Old English | bere | barley; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via Middle English boren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | boren | — |
| 2 | Old English | boren | past participle of beran; born |
| 3 | Old English | beran | to carry, bear; to wear; to sustain, support |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | beran | to carry, to bear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | beraną | to carry, to bear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |