Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “bire” come from?

bire (Middle English) comes from Old English bȳre, from Proto-Germanic buriz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

Ancestry of “bire”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbȳre—
2Proto-Germanicburizmale offspring; son; elevation; hill; favourable...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “bire”

  • byre
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →