Where does “bitten” come from?
bitten (Middle High German) comes from Old High German bitten, from Proto-West Germanic biddjan, from Proto-Germanic bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.
Ancestry of “bitten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | bitten | to ask |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | biddjan | to ask, to make a request |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bidjaną | to make a request; to ask; to request, ask |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰidʰ- | to command; pot, bucket, barrel |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰ- | to compel, force; to trust |