Where does “bill” come from?
bill (Middle English) comes from Old English bil, from Frankish billi, from Proto-Germanic bilją, from Proto-Germanic harjaz, from Proto-Indo-European kóryos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European ker- — army.
Ancestry of “bill”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | bil | a kind of sword or other bladed weapon,... |
| 2 | Frankish | billi | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bilją | a cutting implement; blade; axe; sword; spike;... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | harjaz | army; army leader; commander; warrior |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kóryos | war; troops; army; war, troops |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |
Words derived from “bill”