Etymology Explorer › Old French

Where does “bat” come from?

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

bat (Old French): boat

Definitions

  1. boat

Ancestry of “bat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbotA seafaring vessel or watercraft; a device for...
2Old Englishbātthat which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,...
3Proto-West Germanicbaitboat, ship
4Proto-Germanicbaitazboat, ship
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyd-to split
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰey-bee

Words derived from “bat”

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