Where does “downbeat” come from?
downbeat (English) comes from English beat, from Middle English beten, from Old English bēatan, from Proto-West Germanic bautan, from Proto-Germanic bautaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
downbeat (English): The accented beat at the beginning of a bar; Sad...
Definitions
- The accented beat at the beginning of a bar; Sad...
Ancestry of “downbeat”, step by step
downbeat traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English beat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | beat | A stroke; a blow; A pulsation or throb; A pulse... |
| 2 | Middle English | beten | To beat; to repeatedly strike or hit |
| 3 | Old English | bēatan | to thrash, beat; to beat, pound, strike, lash,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bautan | to beat |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bautaną | to beat, push |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewd- | to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |