Where does “byword” come from?
byword (Middle English) comes from Old English bīword, from Old English bīwyrde, from Old English bī-, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi — on, onto.
byword (Middle English): byword
Ancestry of “byword”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | bīword | — |
| 2 | Old English | bīwyrde | proverb, household word", also "adverb |
| 3 | Old English | bī- | by, near, around; by- |
| 4 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
Words derived from “byword”