Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “bat” come from?

bat (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic bait, from Proto-Germanic baitaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.

bat (Old English): that which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,...

Definitions

  1. that which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,...

Ancestry of “bat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicbaitboat, ship
2Proto-Germanicbaitazboat, ship
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyd-to split
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰey-bee

Words derived from “bat”

  • boat
  • boot
  • steamboat
  • boatswain
  • boating
  • bootstrap
  • gunboat
  • lifeboat
  • sailboat
  • rowboat
  • reboot
  • boathouse
  • houseboat
  • bootleg
  • longboat
  • riverboat
  • motorboat
  • bootless
  • whaleboat
  • ferryboat
  • speedboat
  • bosun
  • boatload
  • bateau
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- →