Etymology Explorer › Middle French

Where does “beau” come from?

beau (Middle French) comes from Old French beau, from Latin bellus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

beau (Middle French): beautiful; handsome; attractive

Definitions

  1. beautiful; handsome; attractive

Ancestry of “beau”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old FrenchbeauAlternative form of biau; fair
2Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
3Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
4LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool

Words derived from “beau”

  • Belle
  • Belinda
  • beau
  • belle
  • Beauchamp
  • Bellevue
  • Belleville
  • Bellefontaine
  • Lebeau
  • Labelle
  • beauish
  • belledom
  • beauship
  • beau sabreur
  • belle sabreuse
  • belle laide
  • Belle Fourche
  • beau joueur
  • bélé
  • beaucatcher
  • la belle indifference
  • Beauchamp
  • belle lurette
  • beau
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →