Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “bowe” come from?

bowe (Middle English) comes from Old English boga, from Proto-West Germanic bogō, from Proto-Germanic bugô, from Proto-Indo-European bʰugʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewgʰ- — to bend; curve, arch.

bowe (Middle English): bow; bowman

Definitions

  1. bow; bowman

Ancestry of “bowe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbogabow; arch
2Proto-West Germanicbogōarch, bow; bow
3Proto-Germanicbugôbow
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰugʰ-bow; arch
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰewgʰ-to bend; curve, arch

Words derived from “bowe”

  • bow
  • bough
  • bowstring
  • bowman
  • longbow
  • bowhead
  • oxbow
  • bowshot
  • bowtie
  • bowhunting
  • boweth
  • boughed
  • bowfin
  • bowsman
  • bowhunter
  • bowknot
  • moonbow
  • bowmaking
  • bowmanship
  • bowfront
  • bowleg
  • bowstave
  • downbow
  • sunbow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰewgʰ- →