Where does “belfrey” come from?
belfrey (Middle English) comes from Old French berfroi, from German bercfrit, from Middle High German bergen, from Old High German bergan, from Proto-West Germanic bergan, from Proto-Germanic berganą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ- — to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain.
Ancestry of “belfrey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | berfroi | movable siege tower |
| 2 | German | bercfrit | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | bergen | to protect |
| 4 | Old High German | bergan | to shelter |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bergan | to preserve, to keep; to protect, to shelter |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | berganą | to take care of; to preserve, to keep; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerǵʰ- | to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain |
Words derived from “belfrey”