Where does “bitch” come from?

bitch (French) 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.

bitch (French): bitch disagreeable, despicable woman

Definitions

  1. bitch disagreeable, despicable woman

Ancestry of “bitch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbitchA female dog or other canine, "particularly" a...
2Middle EnglishbiccheAlternative form of biche
3Old Englishbiċċefemale dog
4Proto-Germanicbikjǭfemale dog, bitch
5Proto-Germanicbikjanąto attack, stab, hack, thrust
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeg-to break
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bikjaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic bikjǭ →