Where does “bla” come from?
bla (Middle English) comes from Old Norse blár, from Old Norse bý, from Proto-Germanic biją, from Proto-Germanic bijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
Ancestry of “bla”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | blár | blue, often denoting a dark colour, blue-black,... |
| 2 | Old Norse | bý | bee |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | biją | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bijǭ | bee |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |