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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic baitaz →