Where does “bit” come from?
bit (Italian) comes from English bit, from Middle English bitte, from Old English byt, from Proto-Germanic *buttjā, from Latin buttia, from Ancient Greek βούττιον, from Ancient Greek -ῐον, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
Ancestry of “bit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bit | A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and... |
| 2 | Middle English | bitte | — |
| 3 | Old English | byt | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *buttjā | — |
| 5 | Latin | buttia | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βούττιον | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐον | diminutive suffix; "suffix forming... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |