Etymology Explorer › Irish

Where does “bead” come from?

bead (Irish) comes from Irish bí, from Old Irish bí, from Proto-Celtic bitu, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂- — to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut.

bead (Irish): first-person singular future of bí

Definitions

  1. first-person singular future of bí

Ancestry of “bead”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Irishbíbe; pitch, resin; genitive singular masculine of...
2Old Irishbísecond/third-person singular habitual present...
3Proto-Celticbitu—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyh₂-to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut

Words derived from “bead”

  • biad
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂- →