Etymology Explorer › Russian

Where does “бедный” come from?

бедный (Russian) comes from Proto-Slavic bědьnъ, from Proto-Slavic běda, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.

бедный (Russian): poor

Definitions

  1. poor

Ancestry of “бедный”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slavicbědьnъpoor, wretched
2Proto-Slavicbědatrouble, misery, misfortune; adversity, calamity;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰ-to compel, force; to trust

Words derived from “бедный”

  • бедность
  • бедняга
  • беднеть
  • беднота
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- →