Where does “firstborn” come from?
Firstborn derives from English first and English bear, with first from English bere, from Proto-Germanic furistaz, from Proto-Indo-European per-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-.
firstborn (English): The first child to be born to a parent or family;...
Definitions
- The first child to be born to a parent or family;...
Ancestry of “firstborn”, step by step
firstborn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English born
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | born | past participle of bear; given birth to; past... |
| 2 | English | bear | A large omnivorous mammal, related to the dog and... |
| 3 | Middle English | bere | bear; To pierce |
| 4 | Old English | bere | barley; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 5 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via English first
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | first | Preceding all others of a series or kind; the... |
| 2 | Middle English | ferst | — |
| 3 | Old English | fyrest | first |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | furist | at first, firstly, in the first place |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | furistaz | first, foremost |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | furi | for, before; before, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |