Where does “both” come from?
Both derives from Middle English bothe, from Old English bā þā, from Proto-Germanic bai-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-.
both (English): Each of the two; one and the other; Each of the...
Definitions
- Each of the two; one and the other; Each of the...
Ancestry of “both”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | boþe | Alternative form of bothe |
| 2 | Old English | bā þā | both the; both those |
| 3 | Old Norse | báðir | both |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bai | both |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰoh₁ | — |
Words derived from “both”