Where does “be” come from?

be (Middle English) comes from Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic bijō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- — to hit, to pierce.

be (Middle English): Alternative form of been; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of been; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “be”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old EnglishbēoI become, I will be, I am; bee
2Proto-West Germanic*bijābee
3Proto-Germanicbijōbee
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰī-to hit, to pierce

Words derived from “be”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bijō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bijā →