Where does “abette” come from?
abette (Middle English) comes from Old French abeter, from Old French beter, from Old Norse beita, from Proto-Germanic baitō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
Ancestry of “abette”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | abeter | to entice |
| 2 | Old French | beter | to bait |
| 3 | Old Norse | beita | to graze; to allow, let, make bite; to steer or... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | baitō | That which is or can be bitten; food; bait |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
Words derived from “abette”