Where does “bīl” come from?
bīl (Middle High German) comes from Old High German bīhal, from Proto-Germanic bíþla-, from Proto-Germanic bītaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
Ancestry of “bīl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | bīhal | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | bíþla- | axe |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bītaną | to bite |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |