Where does “foodborne” come from?
Foodborne derives from food, from Old English bere, from Proto-Germanic fōdô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-, meaning to carry or bear.
foodborne (English): Transmitted through food
Definitions
- Transmitted through food
Ancestry of “foodborne”, step by step
foodborne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English borne
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | borne | past participle of bear; carried, supported |
| 2 | Middle English | boren | — |
| 3 | Old English | boren | past participle of beran; born |
| 4 | Old English | beran | to carry, bear; to wear; to sustain, support |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | beran | to carry, to bear |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | beraną | to carry, to bear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |