Where does “bōt” come from?
bōt (Middle Low German) comes from Middle English bot, from Old English bāt, from Proto-West Germanic bait, from Proto-Germanic baitaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
Ancestry of “bōt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bot | A seafaring vessel or watercraft; a device for... |
| 2 | Old English | bāt | that which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | bait | boat, ship |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | baitaz | boat, ship |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |