Where does “bli” come from?
bli (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch blī, from Proto-West Germanic blīwī, from Proto-Germanic blīwiją, from Proto-Indo-European mliH-wó-s, from Proto-Indo-European mleh₁y- — to be weak, weary, tired.
bli (Middle Dutch): lead
Ancestry of “bli”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | blī | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | blīwī | lead |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | blīwiją | lead |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mliH-wó-s | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mleh₁y- | to be weak, weary, tired |