Where does “virgin birth” come from?
virgin birth (English) comes from English birth, from Middle English birthen, from Old English byrþen, from Proto-West Germanic burþini, from Proto-West Germanic burþī, from Proto-Germanic burþį̄, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.
virgin birth (English): A birth after spontaneous, unfertilized...
Definitions
- A birth after spontaneous, unfertilized...
Ancestry of “virgin birth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | birth | The process of childbearing; the beginning of... |
| 2 | Middle English | birthen | — |
| 3 | Old English | byrþen | burden |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | burþini | burden |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | burþī | burden |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | burþį̄ | burden |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |