Where does “forbitan” come from?

forbitan (Old English) comes from Old English fōr, from Proto-West Germanic furi, from Proto-Germanic furi, from Proto-Indo-European preh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

forbitan (Old English): to bite up, bite into pieces, destroy by biting

Definitions

  1. to bite up, bite into pieces, destroy by biting

Ancestry of “forbitan”, step by step

forbitan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English fōr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfōrjourney; going, course, journey
2Proto-West Germanicfurifor; before; forward
3Proto-Germanicfurifor, before; before, forward
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
5Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via Old English bītan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbītanto bite
2Proto-West Germanicbītanto bite
3Proto-Germanicbītanąto bite
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyd-to split
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰey-bee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European per- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European preh₂- →
forbitan — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer