Where does “beer” come from?

beer (Middle English) comes from Old English bēr, from Proto-West Germanic bāru, from Proto-Germanic bērō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

Ancestry of “beer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbērbier; a litter to transport dead people
2Proto-West Germanicbārustretcher, bier
3Proto-Germanicbērōthat which bears or carries; stretcher, bier
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “beer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bērō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic bāru →