Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “bak” come from?

bak (Middle English) comes from Middle English abak, from Old English onbæc, from Old English on, from Proto-West Germanic ana, from Proto-Germanic *an, from Proto-Germanic ana, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.

bak (Middle English): The back, hind, or rear of a being's body; The...

Definitions

  1. The back, hind, or rear of a being's body; The...

Ancestry of “bak”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishabak—
2Old Englishonbæc—
3Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
4Proto-West Germanicanaon
5Proto-Germanic*an—
6Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “bak”

  • background
  • feedback
  • backed
  • bat
  • backs
  • backup
  • backing
  • horseback
  • backbone
  • backdrop
  • backyard
  • drawback
  • backpack
  • paperback
  • backlash
  • batting
  • quarterback
  • backside
  • playback
  • backstage
  • payback
  • comeback
  • backwoods
  • flashback
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →