Where does “birna” come from?

birna (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse birna, from Proto-Germanic bernijǭ, from Proto-Germanic berô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- — to pierce; to strike; brown.

birna (Icelandic): female bear, she-bear

Definitions

  1. female bear, she-bear

Ancestry of “birna”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsebirnashe-bear, female bear
2Proto-Germanicbernijǭ—
3Proto-Germanicberôbear
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerH-to pierce; to strike; brown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic berô →Every word from Proto-Germanic bernijǭ →