Where does “be” come from?
be (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.
be (Old English): by
Definitions
- by
Ancestry of “be”, step by step
be traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-West Germanic bī
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via Latin be
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | be | The name of the letter "B" |