Where does “bé” come from?
bé (Irish) comes from Old Irish bé, from Proto-Celtic ben, from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, from Proto-Indo-European gʷen- — woman.
bé (Irish): woman, maiden; muse
Ancestry of “bé”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Irish | bé | woman; second/third-person singular present... |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | ben | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷḗn | woman |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷen- | woman |