Where does “pencilbeam” come from?
pencilbeam (English) comes from English beam, from Middle English beem, from Old English bēam, from Proto-West Germanic baum, from Proto-Germanic baumaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
pencilbeam (English): A narrow beam of light that does not spread out
Definitions
- A narrow beam of light that does not spread out
Ancestry of “pencilbeam”, step by step
pencilbeam traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English beam
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | beam | Any large piece of timber or iron long in... |
| 2 | Middle English | beem | A usually wooden beam or pole |
| 3 | Old English | bēam | tree, cross, gallows, column, pillar, wood, beam,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | baum | tree; beam |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | baumaz | Alternative form of *bagmaz; tree, beam, balk;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |