Where does “быть” come from?
быть (Russian) comes from Old East Slavic бꙑти, from Proto-Slavic *byti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic bū́ˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.
быть (Russian): to be
Ancestry of “быть”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old East Slavic | бꙑти | to be |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | *byti | — |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | bū́ˀtei | to be |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰuH- | to become, grow, appear |
Words derived from “быть”