Where does “bay” come from?
bay (Old French) comes from English abay, from Middle English abay, from Old French abai, from Old French abayer.
Ancestry of “bay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | abay | Barking or baying of dogs at their prey |
| 2 | Middle English | abay | The state of being defenceless against one's... |
| 3 | Old French | abai | — |
| 4 | Old French | abayer | — |