Where does “bug” come from?

Bug comes from Middle English bugge, from Proto-Germanic bugja-, of unknown origin.

bug (English): An insect of the order Hemiptera; Any of various...

Definitions

  1. An insect of the order Hemiptera; Any of various...

Ancestry of “bug”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishbuggebeetle
2Middle Englishbuggebogy, hobgoblin, bugbear; scarecrow
3Proto-Germanicbugja-swollen up, thick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

Words derived from “bug”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bugja- →Every word from Middle English bugge →