Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “book” come from?

book (Middle English) comes from Old English bōc, from Proto-Germanic bōk, from Proto-Germanic bakaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₃g- — to bake, to roast, to fry.

book (Middle English): Alternative form of booke; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of booke; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “book”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbōcbeech; book
2Proto-Germanicbōk—
3Proto-Germanicbakanąto bake
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₃g-to bake, to roast, to fry

Words derived from “book”

  • book
  • books
  • textbook
  • notebook
  • handbook
  • booklet
  • bookstore
  • booking
  • workbook
  • Facebook
  • bogus
  • bookmate
  • bookcase
  • pocketbook
  • bookkeeper
  • bookshop
  • yearbook
  • cookbook
  • scrapbook
  • bookshelf
  • bookish
  • sketchbook
  • codebook
  • storybook
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₃g- →