Where does “be-” come from?
be- (Old English) comes from Old English hrōpan, from Proto-West Germanic hrōpan, from Proto-Germanic hrōpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥-, from Proto-Indo-European ker- — army.
be- (Old English): a productive prefix usually used to form verbs...
Definitions
- a productive prefix usually used to form verbs...
Ancestry of “be-”, step by step
be- traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English hrōpan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | hrōpan | to shout, proclaim; cry out, scream, howl; to cry... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hrōpan | to cry out, to call, to shout |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hrōpaną | to cry out, call, shout |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |
via Proto-West Germanic bi-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | bi- | be- |