Where does “beter” come from?
beter (Old French) comes from Old Norse beita, from Proto-Germanic baitō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- — bee.
beter (Old French): to bait
Ancestry of “beter”, step by step
beter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Norse beita
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | beita | to graze; to allow, let, make bite; to steer or... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | baitō | That which is or can be bitten; food; bait |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |
via Middle Dutch bētan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | bētan | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | baitijaną | to make bite; to make graze; to restrain, to rein... |
Words derived from “beter”