Where does “bên” come from?
bên (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon bēn, from Proto-West Germanic bain, from Proto-Germanic bainą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂- — to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut.
Ancestry of “bên”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | bēn | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | bain | leg; bone |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bainą | leg; bone |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyh₂- | to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut |