Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “be-” come from?

be- (Middle English) comes from Old English be-, from Old English hrōpan, from Proto-West Germanic hrōpan, from Proto-Germanic hrōpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European ker- — army.

Ancestry of “be-”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbe-a productive prefix usually used to form verbs...
2Old Englishhrōpanto shout, proclaim; cry out, scream, howl; to cry...
3Proto-West Germanichrōpanto cry out, to call, to shout
4Proto-Germanichrōpanąto cry out, call, shout
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “be-”

  • belong
  • bewilderment
  • bewildering
  • befitting
  • befriend
  • bedwell
  • belittle
  • bespin
  • bedraggled
  • unbeknownst
  • bewilder
  • bespectacled
  • berate
  • befit
  • belongeth
  • bedewed
  • unbeknown
  • bemusement
  • bewilderingly
  • bedevil
  • besmirch
  • belabour
  • bewhiskered
  • benumb
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →