Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “bellan” come from?

bellan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *bellan, from Proto-Germanic bellaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

bellan (Old English): to roar, bellow, bark

Definitions

  1. to roar, bellow, bark

Ancestry of “bellan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*bellan—
2Proto-Germanicbellanąto roar, bark, bellow; to ring
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “bellan”

  • bellen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →