Where does “bee” come from?

bee (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.

bee (Middle English): A bee

Definitions

  1. A bee

Ancestry of “bee”, 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 “bee”

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