Where does “she-bitch” come from?
she-bitch (English) comes from English bitch, from Middle English bicche, from Old English biċċe, from Proto-Germanic bikjǭ, from Proto-Germanic bikjaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- — to break.
she-bitch (English): A cruel and fearsome woman
Definitions
- A cruel and fearsome woman
Ancestry of “she-bitch”, step by step
she-bitch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bitch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bitch | A female dog or other canine, "particularly" a... |
| 2 | Middle English | bicche | Alternative form of biche |
| 3 | Old English | biċċe | female dog |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bikjǭ | female dog, bitch |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bikjaną | to attack, stab, hack, thrust |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeg- | to break |
via English she
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | she | The female person or animal previously mentioned... |
| 2 | Middle English | sche | Third-person singular feminine pronoun: she; It;... |
| 3 | Old English | hēo | she |
| 4 | Germanic | *hiju | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hijō | she; nominative singular feminine of *hiz |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe- | demonstrative particle; here; this, here |