Where does “bough” come from?

Bough comes from Middle English bowe, from Middle Dutch boech, from Proto-Germanic bugô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰāǵʰus, meaning an arm or branch.

bough (English): A firm branch of a tree; The gallows

Definitions

  1. A firm branch of a tree; The gallows

Ancestry of “bough”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbough—
2Old Englishbōgarm; shoulder; bough
3Proto-Germanicbōguzupper arm, shoulder
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰāǵʰusarm

Words derived from “bough”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰāǵʰus →Every word from Proto-Germanic bōguz →Every word from Old English bōg →