Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bye-bye” come from?

bye-bye (English) comes from English bye, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- — on, onto.

bye-bye (English): Goodbye; A goodbye; Bedtime for a toddler, going...

Definitions

  1. Goodbye; A goodbye; Bedtime for a toddler, going...

Ancestry of “bye-bye”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbyeThe position of a person or team in a tournament...
2Old Englishbīlullaby!; near, by; by, near, around
3Proto-West Germanicbīby, at; near, around
4Proto-Germanicbiby, at; near, around
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “bye-bye”

  • babaille
  • バイバイ
  • baybay
  • babay
  • باي باي
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →