Where does “biden” come from?
biden (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch bīdan, from Proto-West Germanic *bīdan, from Proto-Germanic bīdaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéydʰeti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.
biden (Middle Dutch): to wait
Ancestry of “biden”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | bīdan | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *bīdan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bīdaną | to wait; to wait for, to await |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéydʰeti | to trust |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰ- | to compel, force; to trust |